A night of Love
by Harry50
Summary: Sixth year. Padma asks Harry to help her with a problem, leading to unexpected results. [Harry/ Padma/ Hermione]
1. Chapter 1 Unexpected Request

**1 Unexpected Request**

Dinner was almost over when Harry felt somebody tapping his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Padma standing behind him.

"I'd like to talk privately with you," she said.

"Alright. Just wait a moment, please." Harry took a napkin and wiped his lips of any remains of the meal. He then placed it back on the table and stood up. "I'll join you in the common room as soon as I finish," he said to Ron and Hermione. Ron didn't seem to notice, being too busy eating. Hermione only nodded.

They found an empty classroom and went in. Harry noticed that Padma cast some privacy and silencing charms on the door and on the room. He wondered what she wanted to talk about, as they had never been too close, although she and Parvati had been Ron's date and his during the Yule Ball. He knew she had been quite disappointed then. She had joined the DA the previous year, proving to be very talented, almost as much as Hermione. Still, he could see no reason why she suddenly needed to talk with him in private.

Once she was satisfied that their privacy was assured, Padma sat down at his side, looking quite nervous. Harry was surprised to notice how different she was from Parvati – her identical twin. While they looked almost the same, they acted very differently.

"What do you need to talk with me about?" he asked after noticing that Padma was too unsure of herself to start talking.

Padma took a deep breath. "I want you to take my virginity," she said quickly, as if fearing of losing her courage mid-sentence, her face reddening.

Harry knew what it meant. With all the talking about girls that he had heard in the boys' dorms, there was no chance he wouldn't know. Still, it was too unreal. Did Padma really ask THAT from him?

"I'm not sure I heard you correctly," he said.

Padma covered her face with her hands. "It's so embarrassing!" she mumbled into her hands. She then took another deep breath and uncovered her face before talking.

"I need to lose my virginity before the summer vacation. There's an old Indian wizard who wants to buy me for a wife and the only way I can escape this is to become 'used goods' before he comes to close the deal." She covered her face again in embarrassment.

Harry frowned. The mere idea of selling a girl to become a wife was infuriating, yet he knew it was still practiced among many purebloods, sometime even against their better judgment due to financial problems. It was futile for a sixteen-years boy to try and change it. Yet he wondered. Padma was a very beautiful and attractive girl, just like her sister. He knew Parvati had lost her virginity more than three years earlier, as she didn't mind letting everybody know. Why would Padma need his help? Couldn't she find someone who would be glad to help her, someone she knew better?

"Why me? You could choose any boy at school. None would have refused, I'm sure."

His words seemed to bring Padma's confidence back a bit.

"If I may choose anybody, why not you?" she teased him.

"Well... I don't really have any experience, you should know, and I don't want to disappoint you. Besides, I'm dating Ginny."

She smiled at him. "I have no experience either, so I won't be able to compare. Besides, I already know you are tender and considerate as evidenced at the DA. These qualities are much more important than having previous experience, and I'll help you gain it."

She now frowned. "As for Ginny – it doesn't look like real love to me. I think that's only potion induced love. Would you like me to check?"

Harry didn't want to believe that his love for Ginny was not true love, yet if others suspected, maybe it was prudent to check it?

"Yes, why not. Can you do it now?"

Padma seemed undecided. "The spell makes your front glow different colors, depending on the potions it detects. To see the glow, you need to take off your robes and your shirt."

Harry looked around. The classroom they were currently in was on a well-used corridor. Despite the privacy charms, it was quite possible that someone would come in and find them. They shouldn't be found in any compromising situation.

"So, we can't do it here," he said, understanding her hesitation. He thought briefly and smiled. "I have the first Quidditch practice tomorrow. I usually take off my shirt as soon as I dismount my broom. You can be there and it won't look suspicious."

Padma smiled. "I'll be there. Now, what about my request?"

"I can't really refuse. Hermione calls it my 'saving people' tendency. I think we should check for the potion first, though, before doing anything else."

Padma seemed relieved. "Fine. I'll be at the pitch tomorrow. I trust you not to tell anyone, not even my sister."

"I won't tell anybody."

/\/\/\/\/\

"What did she want?" Hermione asked him as soon as he arrived to the common room.

"It was private. I promised not to tell." He knew Hermione didn't like not knowing something, especially something concerning her friends, yet he had to refuse.

"Oh, you promised..." she said, looking deflated.

"What have you and Ron done while I wasn't here?" he asked.

She turned sad, making him regret his question. "We quarreled. Again. He just refuses to listen to logic! It's so frustrating!"

He felt like asking, 'Why do you insist on being with him?' but thought better of it. Besides, if Padma would find he was doped, this could mean Hermione was as well. As much as him falling in love with Ginny seemed out of character to some, Hermione falling in love with Ron was much more suspicious.

Instead, he asked, "Where's Ginny?"

"She felt tired and retired early. I think I'll follow her example. Good night, Harry." Hermione smiled as she greeted him and turned to the stairs.

"Goodnight," he said, looking at her retreating figure. He thought she looked quite shapely, really.

/\/\/\/\/\

The next afternoon was quite warm. By the time Harry finished the Quidditch practice, he was all sweaty. This was reason enough to take off his shirt the moment he was on solid ground. Ginny landed near him. "We both stink. I'm going to take a shower. I suggest you do the same."

Harry nodded and watched Ginny walking to the changing room. He then heard, "Potter!"

Turning around he saw Padma approaching. "It will be quick," she promised. "You really need a shower, although I find your scent quite nice."

She took his hand and led him behind the broom shed. A quick cast later he saw his torso glow blue with some red surrounding it. Padma frowned at the sight.

"Blue is Amortentia. Red normally signifies a loyalty potion, but I'm not sure what the combination means. I'll have to check it in the book." She canceled the spell then lifted her head and pecked a quick kiss on Harry's lips. "Now, go shower, before your girlfriend finds out."

Ginny grabbed his arm possessively as soon as he came out, leading him back to the Gryffindor tower. "What did Padma want?" she asked.

Harry wondered how she knew. "She had a question about DADA homework," he said, not liking her nosiness. He felt like he was starting not to like a lot about her.

"Well, you really are the best at that," Ginny said.

She wanted to cuddle with him once they arrived at the common room. Harry obliged for a short while. Even though he started doubting his feelings, cuddling with a beautiful and shapely redhead was still very nice.

He then excused himself. "I have some homework to finish and I'm really tired."

This gave him an excuse to sit with Hermione for a while. He wondered if her feelings for Ron were also created by a potion. He wanted to tell her about the potion test but didn't want to reveal too much yet, especially if she was also dosed. Instead, he tried to appeal to her protective nature.

"You know, with all that had happened, I'm quite worried somebody would find a way to sneak a poison or some other potion into my food or drink. Come to think of it – you and Ron are almost in the same position, being my closest friends. Isn't there a way to detect a potion in one's food or drink?"

Hermione frowned in concentration, the way he always found adorable. "I think I saw something in a book. I only skimmed over it as it didn't seem important at the time. I'll check it in the library tomorrow."

"Thank you," he said softly, turning to his homework. It was already done, actually, but he needed an excuse for Ginny. Besides, it never hurt to read and check it over at least once.

Due to Hermione having different classes, Harry didn't see her until lunch. She was sitting between Lavender and Parvati, which Harry found unusual, yet she waved him over to join them, forcing Ron to either sit somewhere else or at Lavender's side, but not near either Harry or her. Harry didn't mind, though. He didn't really like to listen to Parvati's endless chatter, yet she provided just as nice a view as Padma, and Lavender was quite an eye-candy as well, although he thought Hermione was the best. Pity she was dating Ron.

As soon as she finished eating, Hermione grabbed Harry's arm. "Come, I found something interesting at the library. Ron, will you join me as well?"

"No. You know I can't stand the library," came the expected reply from a mouth full of food.

"Well, see you later. Come, Harry!"

Soon after leaving the Great Hall, Hermione shoved Harry into an empty classroom and secured the door. "Take your robe off and expose your chest," she ordered.

Harry thought he knew what would come next.

Hermione cast a spell and Harry's torso started glowing blue with red fringes. Hermione gasped. "You are under both love and loyalty potions, I wonder if both are administered by the same person."

She then cast "finite" to end the glow. "I want you to cast that spell on me now." She wrote down the spell and demonstrated the pronunciation a few times. "No wand movement necessary. Just point it at my chest or my stomach."

As Harry turned his eyes to her, he found that she had already removed her robes and unbuttoned her blouse, revealing her bra-less breasts. His eyes bulged out at the view, but Hermione urged him. "Harry, you'll get to see them later, if you like, but now cast the spell!"

He forcefully moved his eyes away, took a few calming breathes, studied the spell and then turned back to Hermione, trying to look only at her face. Soon enough, Hermione was glowing blue, but no fringes. She looked at herself appalled, saying nothing.

"I didn't expect you not to wear..." he started hesitantly.

"Why? Didn't you like the view?" she asked teasingly. His comment seemed to shift her mood.

"Oh, I liked it very much. I only thought all girls..."

"I don't like wearing a bra. I feel confined in it. Besides, my breasts are not so big and don't need support yet. Maybe if they grow larger or heavier I'll change my mind. Do you think I need it?" Her blouse was still open for him to freely examine the view.

Harry blushed. "No. They're perfect. I really enjoy seeing them the way they are."

"Good!" she said, finally buttoning her blouse.

Harry was still confused, though. "Why did you say you'll let me watch them later?"

She sighed. "I've already cast that spell on myself in the bathroom. I only wanted to both verify it and make you know without telling you. I also thought about who I liked best before being affected by the potion. It was you, so I thought to compensate us both for the time lost, at least symbolically."

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	2. Chapter 2 Various Plans

**2 Various Plans**

A few minutes later they were both looking as decent as always, going into the library.

"Oh, I thought I'd meet you here," they heard Padma say as they approached the charms section. Padma waved them to sit at her table. "You're probably looking for this," she said, showing the book she was holding. Its title was "Charms and Potions – How to Detect and Counteract Potions by Using Charms."

"Is that what you wanted to talk with Harry about?" Hermione asked.

"Partly. I believe you already know he's under a love potion as well as a loyalty potion. I'm now looking for ways to identify the perpetrator before getting rid of the effects." She then looked closely at Hermione. "You're also a potion victim, aren't you?"

"Yes. We used the revealing charm to check each other. Somebody is dosing me with love potion. I don't think I need more than a guess to know who." Her expression was stormy and dark. Harry was glad it wasn't directed at him.

Padma smiled at her. "You probably know that a love potion is only effective if the victim is unaware of it. Once the victim knows, the effect is usually reversed, turning the potion-induced love into hatred. Besides, I've started brewing the antidote. It will flush all potions out of your system and nullify their effect. It only needs to simmer for the night to be ready and there's enough for both of you. You should only take it after dinner, though, as it will make you stay in the bathroom almost continuously for a few hours. You should drink as much as you can before you take it."

"Why are you doing this for Harry and for me?"

Padma smiled nervously. "I'll tell you after you are cleansed of the potions and their effects."

Hermione gave it a moment of thought and nodded. "Do you know of a charm to detect potions in one's food or beverage?"

Padma turned the pages to the first chapter. "There are a few spells here. I suggest this one, as it only shows its results to the caster." She pointed at a specific paragraph.

Hermione read it quickly and nodded her agreement. "We must now make it a habit to check each serving before eating or drinking anything," she told Harry. "You too," she said to Padma, "as helping Harry may put you in danger as well."

Padma shrugged. "I've been checking everything since I was ten. Some Indian cults have very weird ideas about girls and women, you know."

/\/\/\/\/\

At dinner, both Harry and Hermione cast the revealing spell. They were not surprised to find their food laced with love potion. Harry's pumpkin juice contained the loyalty potion. He also checked Ron's food and beverage, finding them free of potions. He didn't mind the love potion, as its effect was already severely dampened by the mere knowledge it was used. He used a switching spell to put the loyalty potion in Ron's glass.

They went to the library after dinner as well, meeting Padma there. She showed them the spell she wanted to use on them to find who was behind it. Hermione checked the spell and agreed it was good.

They found an empty classroom near the library. Padma first cast the spell on Hermione. "No surprise here. The potion is keyed to Ron and brewed by his mother."

She then turned to Harry. She had to cast it twice before she was sure of the results. "The love potion is keyed to Ginny and brewed by her mother, as expected. The loyalty potion is keyed to Dumbledore and prepared by him. I guess it is administered either with the help of the house elves or through Ron."

While finding they were given love potions by Ron and Ginny was not a great surprise by now, finding that Dumbledore was using loyalty potion on Harry was quite a shock, especially for Hermione. Despite her experience with the ministry and Umbridge, she still regarded Dumbledore as a trust-worthy figure of authority. This new revelation made his trustworthiness questionable, at best.

They had no time to talk about it, though. They all needed to reach their dorms before curfew, although Padma and Hermione could use their prefect badges to stay out a bit longer.

Ginny had already retired to her dorm room, but Ron was still in the common room when they arrived. "Where have you two been?" he demanded.

"At the library. I asked Harry to help me research something, as you can't," Hermione replied.

"Can you sit with me now? I can't seem to find the right page..."

Harry watched for a bit before leaving. He knew Hermione would only make Ron more frustrated, insisting on him really studying and not just copying her work.

/\/\/\/\/\

Padma met Harry the next day and gave him three vials. "The blue one is the flushing potion. Give one vial to Hermione. You should only take it after dinner, when you reach your dorms. Make sure to drink a lot at dinner. You should be free of any remnants of the potion by tomorrow evening. I'd like to meet you then for..." she blushed nicely, not finishing the sentence.

"What is the other vial for?"

"I'd like you to take the pink one before you meet me tomorrow. It is a very mild love and lust potion keyed to me. It will only take effect for a few hours. I simply want you to love me when you... do what I need you to do. It will make it easier on me." She looked at the floor, blushing some more.

Harry took her face in his hands and made her look into his eyes. "Padma, you don't really need this. I'd be a fool not to be attracted to you and..."

She put her finger on his lips to stop him. "Just take it, please. It will help me."

Harry didn't want to promise. He only nodded. "So, we shall meet tomorrow at eight in front of the Room of Requirements, if it's alright with you."

Padma smiled in relief. "Sure! I'll be there at eight, and not a word to anybody, please."

"You know Hermione is suspecting something and probably Ginny as well."

"Just another reason not to tell a soul."

Both Harry and Hermione drank as much as they could during dinner. "I probably stayed too long in the sun today," Harry said to Ron, "as I'm more thirsty than I have ever been."

They took the flushing potion soon after reaching their dorms. Nobody wondered why they needed the toilets so many times after drinking so much liquid. It even disturbed Harry's sleep a few times during the night.

He avoided Ginny that day and stayed as far from Ron as he could, finding refuge mainly in the library, where both Hermione and Padma joined him, although each studied a different subject. They were going to the Great Hall for dinner, when Hermione asked Padma, "So, you're meeting Harry tonight, aren't you?"

Padma looked at Harry accusingly. He shrugged innocently. Hermione noticed the exchange. "Harry didn't say a word, but don't forget that your sister is my dorm-mate. She told us about your problem. 'She is supposed to be smart, yet by refraining from sex she made herself eligible to be sold for wife. I got rid of my virginity as soon as I could, so they can't sell me.' She also told me about your deadline at the summer vacation. It was plainly evident to me what you wanted Harry to do."

Padma blushed furiously. "My sister should better learn to keep her mouth closed. Her legs as well. And yes, I plan to be with Harry tonight."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Both Harry and Padma stopped walking, looking at Hermione as if she sprouted horns. Hermione just shrugged. "What? Isn't it natural for me to want to give my virginity to the man I love? Besides, your sister told me it is more fun when there are more participants." A red tinge crept into her face despite her bravado.

"I never planned to have company at this event," Padma finally said.

"Neither did I, but as we both seem to share the same boy, why not share this experience as well?"

Harry was finally catching up. "You love me?" he asked Hermione.

She smiled tenderly. "I've been in love with you since first year, although I didn't know it then. That potion just confused me, making me unsure of my feelings. Now, that I finally know, there's no reason to hesitate any longer. I love you, Harry, and I want to be yours."

"I love you too," he blurted, not really knowing what he was saying. Hermione didn't need any more. She grabbed his face and kissed him for all her worth. Harry didn't stay passive. He responded with vigor, and soon that kiss turned into a full-fledged snog.

"You're in the middle of a corridor and people may come here any moment," Padma reminded them a few times, until they broke the kiss, not looking ashamed even a bit.

"We need to catch up," Harry explained innocently. "We might have had much longer to become a couple if those potions didn't interfere. Do you know for how long we've been fed the potions?"

"I don't know, but you may find by interrogating Ron under Veritaserum. I can brew some, if you want. Right now, we have a plan to execute," Padma urged them.

"The three of us?" Hermione asked, not yet sure.

"Yes, the three of us. I don't want Harry to be torn between you and me." Padma didn't look happy about the way things turned out, but she seemed determined to not let it spoil her plans.

"Fine. I'll make sure he's ready on time," Hermione told her, as they approached the Great Hall.

Harry sat beside Hermione, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He was very happy to learn that Hermione loved him. Once the love potion was flushed out, he found that he loved her, but he didn't know how she felt. He was also excited at the prospect of finally having sex, and a bit frightened. He knew that the first time could be awkward, that the girl might have pains and that he would quite possibly finish without letting his partner reach her peak. He had heard too many stories about first time sex. Yet he also knew it could turn out great. And then he recalled he would need to do it twice...

"Hey, mate! Something bothering you?" Ron asked as he sat at his side. Harry noticed that Ron was holding two small vials in his left hand. Harry would not have noticed it normally, but knowing what he now knew, he was much more cautious.

"Not really. Just a bit tired," he answered. His face was turned to Ron, yet his eyes followed Ron's hands as he tried to put the potions into Harry's plate and goblet. Harry's reflexes urged him to stop Ron, but his mind dictated a different action.

"I think there's a spider on the table," he said, faking disgust.

Ron jumped on his feet. "Where?" he asked, his eyes scanning the table.

Harry switched their goblets and used his wand to vanish the contents of his plate before saying, "Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe it moved under the table. I don't know."

Ron looked pale. "I don't feel so good now. I think it's better if I skip dinner."

"Lie down a bit. It may pass in an hour or so," Hermione suggested sweetly. She noticed another vial in his right hand. She silently vanished its contents.

With Ron gone, Harry felt his appetite grow. Knowing that Hermione was sitting at his side, secretly touching his leg with hers, was also very nice. He was also glad that Neville sat on the place vacated by Ron, so that Ginny couldn't claim it.

Dinner was quite pleasant under these conditions.

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	3. Chapter 3 Keeping a Promise

**3 Keeping a Promise**

They returned to the dorms in a group, all feeling relaxed and happy for the starting weekend.

"I suggest you take a shower and brush your teeth. You should then dress lightly, with clothes that can be easily removed," Hermione said before they parted at the stairs.

"Are you sure about taking part in it?" he asked quietly.

"Surer than I've ever been. And don't worry, I'm also sure that you'll do well." Hermione kissed his cheek lightly, not wanting to attract undue attention. Ginny was frowning at the far end of the common room, but there was nothing unusual about the way Harry and Hermione acted. She could find no excuse to intervene.

Harry did as advised. He took a long shower, making sure to clean even places he usually didn't pay much attention to. He also shaved and put some after-shave lotion and a bit of manly perfume on himself, thankful for the shopping Mrs. Weasley had done for him, although she didn't plan for him to use it with anybody but Ginny. He glanced at the rosy vial he had hidden in his trunk and decided not to take it. Padma had already gained his respect, his friendship and much more. He didn't need a potion to show her love, of that he was sure. The mere idea of a potion to influence his feelings disgusted him.

Hermione was already waiting in the common room. He noticed that she was also freshly showered and smelled wonderfully. A glimpse at her robes made him understand that she was probably not wearing much under them, if anything at all. He liked the idea.

"Let's go. You don't want her to wait outside, do you?" Hermione urged him.

Harry took her hand as they left the dorms, feeling content. Despite arriving before the set time, Padma was already waiting near the Room of Requirements. He noticed her hair was still damp and she smelled just as nicely as Hermione.

"Do you have any particular setting in mind?" he asked.

"Not really. A comfortable bed to accommodate the three of us is good enough for me. I don't think we need anything else."

Harry looked at Hermione, who just shrugged, as if stating that she had no preferences either. He then stepped along the wall three times, thinking of a wide bed in a carpeted room lighted by fragrant candles, with some soft furniture around it and some soft background music. An attached bathroom seemed to also be a good idea,

When he opened the door that appeared, he saw a room exactly like the one he imagined. Both girls gaped as they saw it. "That's really a romantic setup," Padma finally said, beaming a smile at Harry.

Once he closed the door, Harry wasn't sure what he was expected to do next. Should he first caress Padma and kiss her? Should he first let Hermione know how much she meant for him? How could he act to be fair to both girls and still satisfy them both? Was he even able to do it?

His doubts were starting to turn into panic, but the girls didn't let it happen. Hermione removed her outer robes, revealing her shapely body clad in knickers only. Padma followed suit, only she was wearing a bra as well. The girls scanned each other appreciatively, and then turned to Harry.

"You are way too much dressed," Hermione told him.

Padma helped him remove his robes and then Hermione helped him out of his shirt. They removed a shoe each. Both took hold of his pants and underpants, taking them down quickly, leaving Harry completely naked.

He felt awkward, and even on the verge of panic, before his hormones kicked in, making him change his perspective. "Now you two are too dressed," he said with a smirk, noticing both were staring at his groin.

Hermione didn't hesitate. She took off her knickers immediately, revealing a nicely trimmed triangle of brown hair above her womanly crack, yet she blushed brightly.

"Won't you help me undress?" Padma asked suggestively.

Harry forced himself to take his eyes off Hermione and walked to Padma. Looking closer, he noted that her bra had a front clasp, making it easier to remove. He felt thankful for her being so considerate, as he had heard some horror stories about boys failing to remove that item off their girls. As she let her bra fall to the carpeted floor, Harry admired the view. Her breasts were much darker than Hermione's – her whole skin was darker, really – and a bit bigger, yet just as erect. He caressed them, enjoying the soft firmness (Wasn't that a contradiction of terms? He didn't mind. That's what it felt like.) and making the nearly black nipples rise. He was almost surprised to feel the hard nipples yet they caused another instinct kick in. He bent down and took one of them in his mouth, sucking lightly. He was rewarded by a moan of pleasure, encouraging him to repeat it with the other nipple.

He let go of her breasts somewhat reluctantly as he let his hands go down, grabbing her knickers and pulling them down her smooth legs, revealing a shaved mound, with only a thin line of trimmed black hair pointing at the entrance. As his head was just at the right height while pulling her underwear down, her feminine scent permeated his nostrils, making him feel almost intoxicated. He moved his head closer, inhaling that scent, until his nose touched her mound. Not even thinking, he let his tongue out, searching for the source of that heavenly smell, letting his tongue explore her folds until he found a place that brought the strongest reaction from Padma.

The dark girl didn't want to wait any longer. She grabbed Harry's hands and made him stand, then led him to the bed and lay on her back with her legs spread wide. Harry was admiring the view, but Padma was in no mood for waiting. She grabbed his erection, forcing him to come closer. "I think I'm wet enough," she told him. "Time to plunge in."

Harry dreaded this moment. He knew that no matter how tender he tried to be, he would still hurt the girl. He felt awful about that. "I don't want to hurt you," he told Padma.

"It will hurt me much more if you don't break my hymen. Just push in hard and then stop until I tell you to move."

It was the first time he was so close to a girl, a woman. He felt unsure, yet his instincts made him act. He put his finger at her entrance, finding it was indeed very wet and slippery. He then lined his erection against that opening and pushed in hard, moving all the way into that slippery warmth until he could move in no deeper. Their pelvises touched and he felt as if he also reached the end inside her. He then had to force himself not to move. Padma bit her lips and whimpered once. He saw some tears escaping her eyes and she wiped them furiously with her hand. She then took a few deep breathes. "Start moving now. Slowly, please."

He started moving. He pulled almost completely out and then pushed in again, forcing himself to move slowly, despite the urges of his body, and trying not to think of what he was doing, so he wouldn't reach his peak prematurely.

He continued this painfully slow pace for only a few more strokes, before Padma said, "Faster!"

It was a relief to move more in accordance with his own instincts. He wasn't sure if he was doing it right, but he tried varying the angle and the depth of his movements, staying as attentive to Padma's reaction as he could. This helped him find the most rewarding position for her. It all started happening much faster after that. Padma was soon moaning in ecstasy, urging Harry to move faster and deeper. He then felt her body squeezing him in rhythmic spasms, as her moans turned into a long wail and her opening overflowed with her fluids. Unable to hold any longer, he pumped a few more times, adding his own fluids into her.

Harry fell over Padma, feeling completely spent, as she hugged him fiercely, while still riding the waves of her first ever orgasm, not minding his weight. Harry felt at peace, resting over her curvy body, feeling her breasts pressed into his chest while his member was till inside her, although it was becoming much softer now.

While Harry was fulfilling his promise, Hermione was sitting on a couch nearby, watching attentively. After a while she started touching herself where Harry's hands and mouth were touching Padma, not even noticing what she was doing. Once she saw Harry relax after his peak she knew it was her turn now. She stood up and approached the bed, when suddenly Harry cried in pain, his hand going to his famous scar.

"What is it, Harry?" both girls asked at once.

"It's Voldemort. Whenever he is angry or excited, my head hurts."

"Didn't you learn Occlumancy?" Padma asked. "That could help you."

Harry grimaced. Even the memory of those so-called Occlumancy lessons with Snape was painful. "Snape was supposed to teach me, but it turned out worse than him teaching potions."

Now Padma grimaced. As a Ravenclaw, she could judge the teachers quite well, and her opinion of Snape was lower than of Binns. She thought for a moment. "Have you tried to use your connection in the other direction?"

"What do you mean? I don't want to let Voldemort know my secrets or even my feelings."

Padma seemed to be in her element now. "According to what I've heard, he couldn't possess you in the Ministry because the love you have was hurting him badly. Maybe he now sensed the love we were sharing here and it caused the reaction you felt, although it was just induced by a potion."

Hermione seemed surprised, but Harry shook his head. "I didn't take it. Whatever happened between us had nothing to do with a potion. I'm really attracted to you and I can truly say I love you, although not as I love Hermione."

"You really love me?" Padma asked, surprise and hope mixed in her voice.

"I already said it. I love Hermione more, but I also love you."

He barely finished the sentence when Padma grabbed his head in both her hands and kissed his lips fiercely. Harry responded, kissing her back with just as much passion. He than broke the kiss suddenly, his hand going to his scar.

Padma sighed. "This is not the best time or place to teach you, but if I don't give you at least some basic protection you won't be able to continue the way both Hermione and I want you." She glanced at Hermione, who nodded.

Her voice changed now, as if lecturing, reminding him of Hermione, when she was in her 'lecture mode'. "Try viewing your connection with Voldemort as a pipe. You already have some minimal protection, which is a kind of directional valve, not allowing your thoughts and feeling to leak out too much, or he would have known some secrets he doesn't, as I see it. You also tried putting there another protection, to stop him from reaching you. This didn't work too well. Am I right?"

Both Harry and Hermione nodded. Padma continued. "Now, instead of blocking everything from going out, try to open that valve selectively, only allowing feelings of love and joy out, while blocking everything else in both directions. Can you do it?"

Harry concentrated a bit. He needed to close his eyes, as the two naked girls proved to cause too much distraction. A short while later he felt as if he could do this, at least for a few hours.

He opened his eyes and nodded.

"Now, use your magic to push the feelings of love you get from me and from Hermione into that pipe." She didn't wait, but initiated another passionate kiss. Harry tried to push some of that feeling into that imaginary pipe.

Padma released the kiss after a while. "I have a feeling it works. Now, let Hermione feel your love to her and give you her love. Try to push as much as you can into that pipe as well."

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	4. Chapter 4 Bonds of Love

**4 Bonds of Love**

Padma moved aside, letting Hermione come to bed and hug Harry, initiating another kiss. Harry responded passionately, deepening the kiss and then licking her lips. Hermione opened her mouth a bit, inviting his tongue in. A short while later, she pushed her tongue into Harry's mouth. It soon turned into a full snog, as their hands started roaming each-other's bodies, both becoming more excited.

Harry wasn't sure if he could consciously direct positive feelings into his connection with Voldemort, that imaginary pipe, while being busy with other things. Instead, he tried to instruct his magic to do so even when his conscience was focused on something else. The distraction caused by snogging Hermione and feeling her naked body caressing his didn't initially help, but once he found the way, he could finally show Hermione how much he loved her and accept her love freely. He was barely aware of his magic directing a lot of the love he felt into that "pipe".

His arousal returned and his fingers told him that Hermione was more than ready for him. After he moved into the right position, Hermione hugged him with her legs, practically pushing him all the way in. He felt the obstacle of her hymen giving in, yet Hermione didn't show any sign of pain. He idly wondered if she was too aroused to notice or just consciously disregarding it. Whatever the cause, he felt his love to her grow.

Hermione held him in place for a few seconds, yet her lips found his, starting another passionate kiss, before releasing the hold her legs had on Harry and moving her body as a signal for him to start moving.

It escalated quickly. Both moved rhythmically, as if responding to some unheard music, caressing and kissing each other wherever they could reach without breaking the connection. Harry put what he had learned shortly earlier to good use, making Hermione enjoy her first time even more than Padma, whose presence fled their minds as soon as they started kissing.

Yet Padma was present. She saw the love shining in both Harry's and Hermione's eyes; she saw their bodies start to shine as well once they started copulating; she saw a bright flash when both seemed to have reached a common peak. She then saw a dark cloud ejected from Harry's scar and reduced to nothingness by the combined glow of the two bodies.

They were still tangled in a tight hug, their bodies almost merged as one, when Padma joined them, hugging them both. Harry felt in heaven. He was being loved by two beautiful and sexy girls, they had both shown their love to him in the most extraordinary way, making him the happiest man alive, and he loved them both dearly. It was just perfect. He wished that moment to last forever, as there certainly couldn't be any better feeling.

When Padma thought the two others coherent enough to understand, she spoke. "Lord and Lady Potter, let me be the first to congratulate you for your soul bond."

For Harry, her words were little more than background music, something that made him feel happy and relaxed without having any particular meaning, but Hermione understood some of it, although she was not yet back into her own mind. "Why do you call me Lady Potter?" she asked lazily, still basking in the afterglow of her orgasm.

"Don't you like it?" Padma teased.

"Oh, I do..." Hermione turned quiet for a moment, yet it was evident that her mind was finally clicking into gear again and was processing Padma's words. She then gasped. "You mean we are married? How can that be?"

Padma smiled at her. "You both glowed. You're still glowing a bit. That's a sign of a soul bond being completed. I feel very privileged to have witnessed it. A soul bond, once completed, is considered legally equivalent to marriage. If any of you is under-age, it also emancipates you. Harry and you are now a married couple."

Harry had only heard her last words. "We can't be married yet! As much as I love Hermione, I'm still under-age. And why do you refer to me as 'Lord'?"

Padma's smile widened. "Let's start from the end. Your family is one of the Ancient and Noble families, whose heads of houses are called Lords. As you are the only surviving Potter, you are automatically the head of house, and are also expected to take your position as soon as you reach fourteen. I thought you only didn't talk about it so you won't attract more attention. As a Lord, you may summon your ring from your vault or send it back by mere thought."

Harry wasn't too sure this was right, but it was worth a try. 'I want my Lord ring on my finger,' he thought. It took only a few seconds for a very ornate signet ring to appear on his finger. He didn't need to contemplate much about what to do next. 'I want the Lady to get her ring too,' he thought, making another signet ring, a more feminine one, appear on Hermione's finger.

Padma stayed silent as the other two looked at their rings with disbelief. She knew it would take a while before they got accustomed to the idea. She found it hard to grasp as well, as the changes were too sudden.

"So, we are really married," Harry finally said, sounding a bit overwhelmed.

"Do you regret it?" Hermione asked.

"Never! I didn't think I'd get married before finishing school, and lately, didn't think it will be with you, as the potions clouded our feelings, but I always knew I wanted you to stay close to me for as long as I live. The potion couldn't change that." His expression turned worried. "Are you happy with this?"

Hermione didn't answer. She just hugged him tightly and kissed him passionately. He considered it a definite 'yes'.

Although they had just finished a sex session, Harry reacted to her passion in a very visible way. Hermione was quite aware of his physical reaction and just as glad for it. Without breaking the kiss, she directed Harry back into her opening, resuming their previous activity with no less passion than the first time.

Harry noticed in the background of his mind that the "pipe" was no longer there. He was in no state to ponder this information, though. He just filed it to be considered later, when he won't be so occupied by his wonderful, sexy and smart wife.

Padma just watched, unable to force her eyes to look elsewhere. She admired the love she saw in this couple and wondered if Harry really loved her as well, despite his words. She also admired his stamina, as he seemed just as energetic as he had been with her and even more passionate. She felt aroused by the action in front of her.

It took the busy couple some time to reach another peak. This time there was no glow and no flash, though. Hermione seemed to be exhausted by the two consecutive sex sessions, an activity she had no previous experience with, and drifted into slumber as soon as her orgasmic contractions stopped. Harry also felt tired, until he took a glance at Padma.

She was standing at the edge of the bed, her nipples erect, her opening moist and her fingers rubbing her nipples and her clit. Her eyes moved from Harry's crotch to his face and he felt as if she was asking for a repeat, just as he had done with Hermione. Harry forgot his tiredness and opened his arms. Padma didn't hesitate to climb on bed and into his embrace, soon turning it into another sex session.

It was slower this time, but not less passionate. Harry had already learned how to make her enjoy their union and used this knowledge well. Padma felt her love for this young man grow as he was bringing her closer and closer to a new and higher peak. She no longer doubted that he loved her, as she felt his love penetrating her soul just as his organ was penetrating her body.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered in his ear.

"And I love you, Padma," he answered, continuing to kiss and caress her, as if to accentuate his words.

When they finally reached their peak, almost at once, they were unable to notice the brief flash of golden light before collapsing on bed. Hermione stirred a bit without really waking. Harry cuddled to Hermione and Padma cuddled into him and they all fell asleep.

Harry woke up feeling happy, despite being hot, sweaty and sticky. For a short moment he wasn't sure where he was, thinking it was only a dream. He then noticed the two girls who shared his bed and was suddenly reminded of the events before falling asleep. That brought a wider smile to his face.

"Slept well, my dear husband?" he heard Hermione's voice.

Harry turned to her, enjoying seeing her naked form sprawled at his side, her hair spread around her head like a brown aura and her eyes smiling at him.

"I slept wonderfully, Lady Potter." It was exciting calling Hermione by her new title. He felt a sudden urge to kiss her and acted accordingly, kissing his wife briefly.

"Good morning, love," he heard from his other side.

He turned around, noticing the darker body of Padma. "Good morning, love," he replied.

"I wish you could call me your wife," she sighed.

"You may still become his wife, you know," Hermione said. "He is Lord Black as well, now."

Harry grimaced a bit at hearing this. He remembered Sirius's last night just too well. The pain was still there, at the mentioning of Sirius in whatever form, yet he really was the Black heir, as Sirius willed.

Padma didn't need to think much. "Will you consider me for the position of Lady Black? I believe you need a pureblood for that position, and I am one. Besides, I love you."

Harry wanted to answer, but Hermione talked first. "I'm not really sure, but you may be already wed to Harry. I think there was a magical flash when you coupled, after I fell asleep. It woke me up for a moment."

"How can we know?" Harry asked.

"Probably the same way you made sure that I was Lady Potter. Just summon the rings," Hermione suggested.

Harry concentrated and thought, 'I want the Black Lord ring on my finger and the Lady's ring on hers.'

Just like some hours earlier, it took only a few seconds before the Black signet ring became visible on his finger, along with his Potter ring. The Lady Black ring appeared on Padma's finger at the same time.

Seeing the ring on her finger, Padma could not refrain. She jumped on Harry and kissed him passionately. It was impossible for her to ignore his morning wood, and she soon sheathed it within her folds, both reaching their peaks quickly. Hermione didn't like to be left behind. When Harry pulled out of Padma, she straddled him and directed him into her willing body as soon as his erection returned, giving them both another fabulous orgasm.

They rested a bit longer. Harry checked the time, finding it was still early. They had enough time for a shower before needing to reach the great hall for breakfast.

As they were adjusting the water, Hermione asked Padma, "Did you use the contraceptive charm?"

"No. I didn't mind being impregnated. It would have ruined any chance for me to be sold. Yet it was probably unnecessary either way, as I've only finished my period two days ago. I didn't see you using that charm either."

"Oh, I cast it on myself during my shower, before coming here. It is supposed to hold for almost a day. I want to bring Harry some children, but only after graduating."

Harry wasn't sure if he liked Padma to get pregnant or not. He wanted to have children some time, but he didn't think he was mature enough to be a father yet. That, and the threat of Voldemort. He didn't want his children to become orphans, like him.

Both girls wanted Harry to wash their backs and didn't mind if his hands roamed any other places. The room provided a large enough shower stall to accommodate the three of them comfortably. They frolicked in the shower, enjoying each other almost as much as during sex. Harry really had to restrain himself, or they would have missed breakfast and maybe even lunch.

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	5. Chapter 5 The Morning After

**5 The Morning After**

As they were drying themselves, Padma had another thought bothering her. "Harry, do you mind if I check you for binds on your magic? If someone wants to control you with potions, he might as well bind your magic to prevent you from being too powerful."

"What do you need to do this?"

"It's just a simple spell Parvati and I use every time we return to school, fearing that somebody may have bound our magic to make us 'easier to control'. We did find binds twice, when we were younger."

Hermione frowned but stayed silent.

"Can you do it now?" Harry asked.

"Sure, just stand still for a moment, and no ogling!"

Harry smiled at that. Despite having shagged each of the girls three times, he could still look at their naked bodies for hours and not tire of the view, as Padma seemed to notice.

Padma moved her wand in a tight circle, mumbling a spell in what Harry believed to be Hindi. He was soon engulfed in what seemed to be a series of thin circles of light, making Padma frown deeply. "Your magic is severely bound. You are probably able to use less then a tenth of your potential."

"Can you unbind me?"

"Yes, but with your power and the amount of binding we found, it may be too dangerous to do here. Let's check Hermione now, before deciding what to do."

She cast the same spell on Hermione, engulfing her in what looked like a series of cylinders, separated by some blank circles. "Your magic is also bound, as I suspected, but not as much as Harry's. You shall both be formidably powerful once unbound."

"What do you need to unbind us safely?" Harry asked.

"We can either find some deserted place, where the backlash of magic will not harm anything of value or we may create a shielded bubble, like what is used around dueling platforms, to maintain and absorb the released magic with no harm to anyone."

"I believe the shield may be more practical in our condition and I think the room may supply one," Hermione said. She closed her eyes in concentration and another door appeared. They all went through it, finding an empty room, with one corner clearly marked for the caster. Harry tried casting "Reducto" at the walls, noting how they absorbed the spells with no damage.

Padma and Hermione moved to the marked corner. Solid shields appeared in front of them as soon as both stood still. Harry left his wand outside, closed the door and moved to the center of the room.

"I'll cast the revealing spell first, and then try to remove each binding separately, to minimize the risk," Padma explained.

She cast a different spell now, one that showed each bind as a separate blue or violet ring. "I'll try to remove the outermost first," she said. Hermione watched and listened attentively as Padma removed the outer binding. This caused a momentary flash that was so bright, they all needed several minutes to be able to see again. "I'll close my eyes when casting the next spells, as the flashes are going to be even brighter," Padma noted. Harry decided to do the same.

After removing two more binds, Hermione cast the next few spells, each time producing a stronger and longer flash. She concentrated a bit and the next casting made the shield stop the extra light as well.

The girls cast the spells alternately, until all the binds were removed. "It's over, Harry. You may open your eyes now," Hermione told him.

Harry opened his eyes and drank her beauty. For him, she was the most beautiful and most desirable woman in the world. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she smiled back. "Now, stand still and let Padma check you again for binds."

Padma cast that spell again, resulting in a long luminous cylinder engulfing Harry. No dark band could be discerned. "I think we've managed," she said. "Now, try to cast Lumos."

"I don't have my wand," he protested.

"Use your finger as a wand," Padma replied.

He tried, not knowing what to expect. Holding his hand forward he said "Lumos!" The tip of his index finger suddenly lighted, illuminating that whole room as if it was tropical sunshine. Harry squinted, unable to see clearly for excess of light. "Nox!" he mumbled and waited for his eyes to adjust.

Both girls kissed him. "You're now as powerful as you should have been all along, probably more powerful than Dumbledore and Voldemort put together."

Hermione stepped to the middle of the room. "My turn now!" she declared.

Harry retrieved his wand and joined Padma at the corner, still marveling at the exotic beauty of her darker body. Padma didn't pay attention to him ogling her. She repeated the casting she had previously done, teaching Harry how to do it. After a while he did the rest, until there were no more binds to remove.

Hermione tried to cast "Lumos" like Harry. Her finger lighted nicely, but not as brightly as Harry's. It was still a very nice achievement, as she had never done it before.

"Can you cast this way?" she asked Padma.

"I can, but I'm not nearly as powerful as you are, even before removing those binds, see?" She lifted her hand and cast "Lumos". Her finger shone like a small lamp.

"Can everybody cast this way?"

"You probably need a certain minimum of power for this to work, and very good concentration. Many lack either or both. Parvati is much more powerful than me, but she lacks concentration, so she can't do wandless magic."

The room provided some clothes now, as none of the girls had any. When finally putting their robes over their other clothes, Harry found that his robes now showed the two house crests under his left shoulder, while Hermione's showed the Potter crest only and Padma's showed the Black one.

Now, properly clothed, they left the Room of Requirements for breakfast.

They heard the noise from the great hall long before they saw the doors, wondering what caused the students to be so noisy. It then stopped suddenly. They then heard Dumbledore's voice. "As many of you already know, this has been a very eventful night. Some students were found dead in their beds or just collapsed in their common rooms, and three students are still unaccounted for. We continue searching for them. You are to stay here until further notice."

The noise reached a new high level. Harry pushed the doors open and stepped in with the girls at his sides. All eyes turned at him and the noise stopped as if cut by a knife.

Only the Headmaster's voice was heard now. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Patil – care to tell us where you've been?"

"We've all been at the castle. We probably fell asleep and were oblivious to what happened elsewhere," Hermione answered for them all.

"And it is Lord Potter-Black, Lady Potter and Lady Black, if you don't mind," Harry added, pointing at the girls and sounding very formal.

Dumbledore glanced at their robes and then noticed their rings. He knew what they meant. "Of course. My apologies, Lord Potter, Ladies, for addressing you incorrectly."

The students started gossiping immediately, yet one voice was heard over all others. "What do you mean by 'Lady Potter'? Hermione is mine!"

Harry looked at Ron, but Hermione responded first, "Says who?"

Ron was still oblivious. "Mom told me you'll be mine and so did the Headmaster."

"They're obviously wrong," she said sweetly, "as this ring I'm wearing testifies."

Harry was watching closely both younger Weasley and the Headmaster. Ginny looked defeated, holding her head in her hands and lowering her eyes. Dumbledore seemed as if he'd like to take his wand and do something about the situation, but knew it to be impossible at the moment. Ron didn't seem to have any hesitations. He drew his wand, pointed it at Harry and started, "Avra...", before being hit by three stunners, as Harry and both his wives responded swiftly to the threat, none of them using a wand.

"I think we should let the Aurors handle him," Harry said coldly as he stepped around his stunned ex-friend, going to the table. "Headmaster, please summon the aurors, as this was clearly an attack against a Lord of two houses."

Dumbledore didn't like it. "Please, Lord Potter, can't we settle this without involving the aurors? We can handle it discreetly if you just come to my office."

"No, headmaster. His attack was public and so should his punishment be. Please make sure the aurors arrive before breakfast ends." Harry's voice was formal and as cold as ice. Dumbledore sighed and left his chair, heading for his office.

Harry turned his attention to the food on the table. He checked everything for potions, finding none, before serving the two girls who sat at both his sides and taking some for himself. Neville came to sit with them a moment later. "I'm glad you've finally taken your lordship, Harry. I never understood why you didn't do it earlier."

"I didn't know earlier. Dumbledore never told me, my relatives wouldn't tell me even if they knew and it looks like others assumed I knew. It was only due to Lady Black that I could finally claim my lordship."

Neville smiled. "Let me be the first to congratulate you for your marriages. You certainly opt for the best, as can be plainly seen. You've chosen the smartest and most beautiful girls to be yours." His smile showed that he was really glad for Harry.

"Now, Ladies, let me congratulate you for marrying Lord Potter. He is a fine young man and I'm sure he'll do anything for you, yet be aware that he sometimes is a magnet for troubles."

Hermione laughed. "Thank you, Neville, or should I say Scion Longbottom? We are glad to be married to Harry and we're glad that you're his real friend, unlike somebody else."

Padma only smiled shyly saying "Thank you."

Parvati came to sit across from her sister. "Padma! You never told me you were dating Harry! And Hermione – I was sure you were with Ron. What happened?"

Padma smiled, a bit nervously. "I didn't date Harry. I seldom even talked to him until this week. And no, I can't tell you what happened. It is a House Secret."

Parvati looked somewhat disappointed but turned her eyes to Hermione. Harry was fascinated again by how similar she looked to her sister, and yet how different they were.

Hermione didn't hesitate to answer. "What happened? I found out he was using love potions on me and on Harry. Once we got rid of the potions, the rest went naturally. Now, what was it about students collapsing and dying that I heard before we came in?"

Parvati's expression changed. "Oh, that's awful! Two Slytherin perfects just collapsed for no discernible reason. One was on patrol and another was just talking with his friends in their common room when it happened. They then found Malfoy dead in his bed and a seventh-year Ravenclaw. All seemed to have died of magical exhaustion, but there was nothing near them to cause it. I've also heard that Snape is in the hospital wing."

The morning mail arrived as she was talking. Hermione got her daily newspaper and another arrived for Padma. Hermione scanned the main titles. "It looks like some others also suffered sudden death. Interestingly – all come from dark families."

Harry looked at the list she was pointing at, noticing many familiar names: Malfoy, Crabble, Goyle, Avery, Macnair, Nott ...

"Death Eaters," he said quietly, "all of them."

"What would cause their deaths?" Hermione wondered.

Padma thought she might help them. "Harry, I saw a dark cloud coming out of your scar when you... wedded Hermione. Is you 'pipe' still there?"

"No. It seemed to disappear during the second time."

Padma's face lighted. "Well, if so, then maybe... just maybe... he was destroyed by the love flowing through it. I hoped it would incapacitate him. I didn't expect it to have this much stronger effect."

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	6. Chapter 6 Aftermath

**6 Aftermath**

Parvati was listening attentively, trying to make head and tails of what she heard. She had a feeling this was a very cheesy piece of gossip, if only she could decipher it. Hermione had no problem with it. "Oh, you may be right. Don't you know that the dark mark could be used to siphon magical power from the death eaters to their master? How else could he be so powerful? Now, if he felt weakened by what he sensed through the 'pipe', he may have tried to regain some power from his minions. Eventually, he took so much that they could no longer live."

"Do you think he's dead, then?"

"It's possible, although I wouldn't count on it."

Dumbledore returned to the great hall, followed by two aurors. He directed them towards Harry and went to his place, evidently unwilling to cooperate more than strictly necessary.

"Lord Potter-Black, I understand that you have a problem to report," the older auror addressed Harry.

"Yes, auror. The young man here insulted my wife and tried to use the killing curse on me. I've also discovered that he was using illegal love potions on me and my wife before we bonded. I believe you may find the potion vials in his pocket."

Hermione glanced at the head table, noticing that Dumbledore was suddenly looking paler than usual. She noticed him holding his wand hidden and starting a spell, aimed at Ron. "Expeliarmus!" she whispered, aiming at Dumbledore. His wand was plucked from his hand and sailed into her hand. One of the aurors noticed.

"Why did you take the Headmaster's wand, Lady Potter?"

"He was trying to use a spell on either Ron or one of us. I thought that might interfere with the investigation. I suggest you check his office and his quarters as well. You may find a loyalty potion there, also used against my husband.

The great hall was full of whispering. Everybody trying to understand what was happening. Dumbledore tried to retreat and leave while he still could. It was Padma who noticed him rising from his seat. "Going anywhere, Headmaster? Don't you think you should stay here while this investigation takes place?"

"I have some urgent..." He knew it wouldn't work. He had already attracted too much attention and the aurors were bound to find even more incriminating evidence than the Potters expected. He needed a way to leave fast. "Fawkes!" he called.

The magnificent phoenix, that had befriended Harry since second year, appeared with a flash of fire and landed on Harry's shoulder, rubbing its head on his cheek and trilling happily. Dumbledore sat down, defeated.

The aurors had no problem finding the three vials in Ron's pockets. They cuffed him with magic-suppressing manacles and then revived him. "Did you try to use the killing curse on Lord Potter?" one asked him.

"He stole my girl!" Ron said indignantly.

"I've never been your girl. You barely managed to keep me interested in you even with a love potion!" Hermione said.

"Did you use love potion on Lord and Lady Potter?"

"Sure! The Headmaster said it was for the Greater Good that I get Hermione while Ginny gets Harry."

"Did you brew the potion?"

"No, I can't. Mom's an expert in love potions, having used them on Dad since they met, but the Headmaster gave me the loyalty potion for Harry, as he tried to be too independent. He said he might soon need to give some to Hermione as well."

Harry looked at Ginny. She seemed shocked and ashamed, covering her face with her hands. He somehow felt relieved. Judging by her reaction, he was almost sure that she didn't know about the potions. If so, they could still keep their previous friendship.

The doors of the great hall burst open again as an agitated professor McGonagall walked in, followed by the rest of the teachers, excluding Snape. "Albus, we can't find Potter and the girls..."

"I'm here," Harry said, standing up, "and so are my wives."

"Oh, thank goodness you're safe here," Minerva sighed in relief, not paying attention to the rest of the sentence. She then noticed the aurors and Ron. "What's going on here?" she asked.

The older auror answered, "Mr. Weasley here tried to use the killing curse on Lord Potter. He has also doped both Lord and Lady Potter with illegal potions for some time. Do you know anything about this?"

Minerva seemed shocked. "No! I would have never allowed it!"

"That's what I thought," the younger auror mumbled.

An hour later, the aurors departed, taking both Ron Weasley and Albus Dumbledore into custody. Minerva was named as the temporary headmistress and Snape was finally announced dead, as were the students who bore the dark mark.

Hermione had finally found time to read more than the headlines of her newspaper, sitting by the lake.

" _During a reception at the Ministry, some of the prominent figures started feeling ill and soon collapsed, dying within a few minutes. Then, the Minister was informed of some deaths at Azkaban. As one of them was Lucius Malfoy, a former close friend of the minister and a major contributor in helping the ministry, Minister Fudge decided to personally bring the sad message to the widow. When he arrived at Malfoy Manor, accompanied by aurors, he found several more dead, some of whom are known criminals and fugitives from Azkaban, among them Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband and his brother. All seemed to have died in the same way. There was also one cadaver which was recognized as Peter Pettigrew, who was previously believed to have been murdered by Sirius Black some fifteen years ago. Evidently, he was not, which puts the whole story about Black in questionable light._

 _In the center of the group of dead death-eaters there was a set of empty robes, with just an old bone, a rotten hand and some blood, believed to be used in some kind of ritual the others were trying to conduct, as well as a broken locket and the remains of a cup. A dead serpent was found in a room nearby. The aurors spokesperson assured the public that this is not an epidemy and the investigating team will give a full report, once it reaches its conclusions."_

Hermione lifted her head and smiled at Padma. "I believe we did better than expected."

Padma checked the article quickly and smiled back. "With this threat removed, Harry can spend more time with us. Don't you like it?"

"I sure do."

Because of all the events that happened, normal school activity was suspended for a day, letting the newly appointed headmistress step into her new job and handle the immediate tasks, namely – delivering the dead students to their families, most of which had also lost other members.

Narcissa Malfoy, after being interrogated under Veritaserum, also accepted Snape's body, as he was Draco's godfather and he had no living relatives. She said she would bury her husband, her son and his godfather in one ceremony, and then her sister Bellatrix. She wouldn't take responsibility for any other burials, not even for Bellatrix's husband. Narcissa said that she would then leave the country forever, as it held no good memories for her. Surprisingly, she was accompanied by her sister Andromeda Tonks, with whom she had broken all ties for many years, who supported her along the way.

Shortly before lunch, Harry and his wives were requested to meet McGonagall. She was still in her old office, as she had no time to clear Albus's stuff from his former office and move hers there. Harry noticed that she looked extremely tired.

"You gave us a good fright, the three of you," she said as they came in. "We were looking for you the whole night. Where have you been?"

"We've been in the castle," Harry said, knowing this would not be enough of an answer.

The professor sighed. "Harry – I hope you allow me to call you Harry in private – I think that I deserve to know a bit more after losing my sleep while searching for you."

Harry smiled at her. He was unsure what the girls were willing to tell, though. Padma sensed this and decided to talk. "You see, professor, I had a serious problem and I asked Harry to help me solve it." She told the whole story, including Harry's and Hermione's soul bonding and her own marriage bond, as well as removing the binds on the two others. "...and then, after Harry said we were his wives, Weasley got angry. You already know what followed."

Minerva sighed. "I can't even count how many rules you've broken by what you've done, but it also looks like you've done a great service to the school, as Albus seems to have lost his way, and I suspect that the other events are somehow connected to your bonding as well, although I don't yet know how."

She now smiled. These three were her favorites, and she couldn't really be angry with them, especially as they had done nothing really wrong. "Congratulation, Lord Potter-Black, Lady Potter, Lady Black, for your bonds and marriage. I'm sure, Harry, that Sirius would have congratulated you for marrying the smartest and most beautiful girls in school. He suspected you'd end up with Hermione from the start, although he hoped you'd 'sample' a bit more."

Harry grimaced at that. He knew there would be no "sampling" in his future, yet with his two wives, both of whom seemed eager to give him much more than samples, he had no doubt he wouldn't need, nor want, any.

Minerva sighed again. "Well, now I need to find some appropriate lodging for you..."

"It's not urgent, really," Harry said. "We can use that same room until you find something suitable. No need to hurry."

She smiled with some relief. "You probably enjoyed it way too much, but you may use it until we find some better arrangement. Now, if you don't mind, I have some other urgent matters to deal with."

As it was already lunch time, the three made their way to the great hall. They sat at the Gryffindor table, and Neville soon joined them, as well as Parvati and Lavender. They barely had time to look around when Ginny approached them, looking very serious. As she came nearer, she bowed low before speaking. "Lord and Lady Potter, I came to apologize for my behavior. You both know that I had a crush on 'the boy who lived' since I was a little girl. I managed to overcome it during my third year at school and I was quite content dating other boys. Yet every time we went home, Mom continued telling me I should be close to you and make you fall in love with me, although it was clear to me that you two were in love with each other, even if you were not aware of it. Since the skirmish at the Ministry, Mom's nagging became even worse. She told me you will surely fall in love with me this year and I should keep any other girl away from you. I didn't know of the potions until today and I'm very sorry you were subjected to them. I can only say that I knew nothing about them and would not have acted the way I did, had I known. I also ask you to forgive my family. As far as I know now it was only Mom and Ron who plotted this whole thing. I'm sure Dad would have not allowed it, even if Dumbledore said he should. Neither would Bill or the twins support such deeds."

Hermione spoke for them both. "Ginny, we don't blame you or your family for the deeds of Ron and Molly. If you didn't really know, then there's nothing to forgive you for. I hope we can stay friends, maybe even better friends than before."

She opened her arms and let a teary Ginny walk into her hug. She then invited Ginny to sit with them, which happened to be at the place near Neville, who blushed furiously when the redhead sat at his side.

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	7. Chapter 7 Meet the Parents

**7 Meet the Parents**

As much as Harry loved his wives, just the thought of having to talk with their parents, who were sure to ask questions about the way they got married, was extremely frightening. Well, Hermione was of age in the magical world and could decide for herself, although she wasn't considered adult in the muggle world yet. Padma, on the other hand, was not yet seventeen and had clearly acted against her parents' will. He dreaded the moment he'd have to face her parents.

Both his wives had written to their parents the day after the bond.

Hermione's parents sent a reply immediately, congratulating her for marrying the man of her dreams.

" _We've been very troubled when learning of your new interest in the red menace. It didn't seem natural to us, but you were just as stubborn as always, insisting that we should accept him. Now, that you're finally free of it, we're very glad that you returned to your previous love interest and were able to make it into a relationship. Getting married in the process was unexpected, but as it is_ _to_ _the man you've been in love with since first year, this is really good news. Just make sure not to turn us into grandparents before you finish your studies."_

Harry blushed when reading the last sentence.

Padma's parents didn't respond in any way, as far as he knew. Padma was becoming quite nervous about that and Harry didn't know if the lack of response was a good sign or a bad one.

Unknown to them, Parvati had also written to her parents, telling them how happy Padma was with her new position and how well Harry treated her, as well as of the changes that happened at school – all seemingly caused by Lord Potter. She did get a response, asking her to keep it secret. Her parents were quite pleased, actually. They didn't like the old customs concerning their daughters but were unable to openly fight them. They considered the fact that both twins turned "bad girls," losing their virginity before being married, to be quite a blessing.

It was a few days later, shortly after the last lesson of that day, when a second year Hufflepuff came looking for them. "Lord Potter, Ladies, your presence is requested in the headmistress's office."

Harry didn't think much of it. Since bonding with his wives, they had been frequently asked to visit that office. Unlike the previous headmaster, Minerva, as she insisted to be called in private, wanted their opinions on many subjects. They were not the only ones she consulted with, either, as she used to consult with many students, especially muggle-raised ones, all from the higher classes and with good grades.

He held the door open for his wives. Hermione stepped in first, followed by Padma. Harry got really worried when he saw Padma paling considerably. He understood it as soon as he stepped into the room – a man and a woman of clearly Indian origins were standing there, looking at them with unreadable expression. Despite his worries, Harry took a protective posture, standing a bit forward of Padma, while Hermione took Padma's hand and held it tight.

"Please sit down," Minerva told them, pointing at the chairs in front of her desk. Harry sat reluctantly, taking Padma's free hand in his.

Minreva glanced at the other couple, as if expecting them to start the conversation. Harry noticed that she didn't seem tense or worried. She actually seemed to hold back a smile. He relaxed a bit.

Mr. Patil looked at Harry with a piercing glance. "Lord Potter, I understand that you married our daughter Padma without asking for our permission or for our blessing. Is that true?"

Harry summoned all his Gryffindor courage to answer, "Yes, Mr. Patil, we got married quite suddenly. We weren't really ready for that ourselves."

The man raised his brow. "Care to explain?"

Harry wasn't sure how to tell it without making the man angry at Padma, if not at them both. Padma jumped in. "Dad, my husband only acted as I asked him to act. If anybody is to be blamed, it's me."

Her father looked at her sternly. "If so, Lady Black, do you care to explain?"

Harry thought he detected a bit of amusement in the voice. He also wondered why her father addressed Padma so formally. Was it actually a way to show that he recognized and accepted her marriage?

"Dad, I'm still your daughter, even though I'm now married. You didn't lose me as your daughter, you only gained a son. This is very different than the way it would have been had I waited for you to sell me for bride." Her father's expression was still unreadable. Padma took a deep breath and continued. "After you told me about your plans for me, I knew I needed to act somewhat like Parvati and lose my virginity, so I could still have some control of my life. As you were not too mad about Parvati losing her virtue, I hoped you would accept me doing the same with a similar attitude. Unlike my sister, I did care who would open me and I chose the most considerate young man that I knew, one I had a secret crush on since third year."

"Not so secret," her mother noted. Padma didn't seem to mind.

"It didn't go exactly as I planned, though. I first had to rid him and Hermione of the potions someone was administering to them. Then, Hermione asked to join us, claiming that Parvati considered it more fun with more participants." Her cheeks reddened as she said this, and Harry thought she looked even more beautiful than usual. Padma didn't stop, though. "Then, Harry did his part with me, giving me a very good experience, as I hoped he would. Harry continued, giving Hermione an even better one, making them soul-bound." Her parents gasped at hearing that.

"I thought that would be it, but they continued showing their love to each other while I was watching. Once it was over, Harry turned to me to show me he really loved me as well, something I never thought I could have. It was then that a golden flash appeared, later confirmed as a marriage bond."

Minerva smiled now. "I really wondered how that happened. It looks like Magic itself blessed both unions."

The Patil parents seemed to lose their stern mask. Mrs. Patil smiled reassuringly at her daughter while her husband still looked serious, yet there was some underlying feeling of contentment. "You should know that I didn't expect you to get married already, although I was wondering what I could do to help you act on your feelings. I have to admit it turned much better than I could ever hope for." He stepped forward and hugged his daughter, who looked quite confused.

Harry looked at Hermione. She seemed pleased, yet he couldn't see why. He tried to sense her feelings, as she found in one of the books that soul bound couples could communicate, but it didn't seem to work. Maybe it needed time to start working.

Mrs. Patil joined the hug, talking rapid Hindi in her daughter's ear. Harry finally decided that he needed to understand. "Can any of you explain to me what has just happened?"

Her parents released the hug on Padma as they turned to Harry. Mr. Patil was grinning. "You see, Lord Potter, my wife and I had to defy our parents in order to get married. Still, they tried to control our daughters instead, making them 'proper Hindi wives,' as they say. Parvati would hear none of it, as you probably know. Padma didn't want to believe they would really act the way they said they would. It was only lately that she found out the harsh truth. We are very glad that she finally acted on her feelings and didn't let outdated customs dictate her life. Still, it looks like she got much more than she had bargained for." He now turned serious. "I hope you treat her well and give her the kind of life she has always hoped for."

Harry gulped and answered as seriously as possible. "The moment she helped me find out about the potions, I knew I had feelings for her, even if not as strong as those I have for Hermione. Padma is a wonderful young woman and I love her dearly. I really intend to give her all that she may ask for and much more. I promise to never knowingly harm or offend her if I can help it."

Mr. Patil gave Harry a short manly hug, which Harry only accepted, not being accustomed to such hugs. His wife also hugged Harry, but in a motherly way. "I can see you both love each other and are very pleased with your marriage. Just make sure not to turn me into a grandmother before you finish school, although I expect this to happen not too far in the future."

Harry blushed at that, but Padma didn't mind to answer. "We didn't use any contraceptives that first night, so there may be a chance I got pregnant, yet it was too soon after my period, making it highly unlikely."

Hermione intervened as well. "You see, Mrs. Patil, even if she did get pregnant, she'd only be due during summer vacation, so she will be able to attend school to the end of the year and return for next year, already a mother. I'll do all I can to help her, in that case, and I'm sure Harry will as well."

"Thank you, Lady Potter. Still, I hope that won't be necessary. I hope all three of you are taking all due precautions since," Mrs. Patil answered, her husband nodding at her side.

"We all do, Mom," Padma reassured her. "Neither I nor Hermione would like to climb all the stairs here with a pregnant belly." Her mother smiled at that.

They were soon joined by Parvati, who was just as glad to meet her parents as she was glad to hear the full story. She already knew it was not to be spread, despite being so unusual.

The Patil parents stayed until dinner. Padma and Parvati were delighted to show them the common rooms and the dormitories at their houses. Padma was also proud to show her family the Potter apartment, which had initially been used by Godric Gryffindor, as she found out the runic designation on the door.

Her parents were delighted to see how happy she was in her marriage and how much her husband loved her. Despite openly stating that he loved Hermione much more, they were hard pressed to find any difference in the way Harry treated his two wives. They also found, not surprisingly, that Hermione and Padma had a lot in common, both being very studious and smart and having similar preferences and attitudes. They already knew most of it from Parvati's letters since starting Hogwarts.

Harry also found interest in the Patil couple, especially since finding out they had been friends with his parents, although not very close. After talking with them for a while, he didn't find it awkward to call them "Mum" and "Dad", as they suggested. It felt unexpectedly natural.

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	8. Chapter 8 Granger House

**8 Granger House**

"We now need to visit my parents," Hermione told Harry after Padma's parents left.

"Now?"

"During the weekend, I mean."

"We can't. It's not a Hogsmeade weekend."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, a Lord can come and go as he pleases. You only need to be present at exams, actually, although I think it would be courteous to let the headmistress know when you leave. This is also true for Ladies."

"So, we can go visit your parents this weekend, but how shall we go there? We can't apparate yet."

"You can't. I've already passed my apparition tests. We can use other means, though. I believe the headmistress can create a portkey for us. Actually, as a Lord, you can legally create a portkey as well, but we don't yet know how to do it. We can also use the floo and go to London. We can then take the train or a taxi or even apparate to my parents' home. And then there's the Knight Bus, if you enjoy that kind of travel."

"How do you know about the Knight Bus?" he asked.

She smiled mischievously. "Do you forget we're soul bound? It means that we can read each-other's mind and memories as if they are our own. It's almost like I was the one who rode that bus before third year. Now, which method do you like?"

Harry grimaced. None of the options sounded attractive, but he knew he really had to meet her parents. After meeting the Patils, this didn't seem so ominous, and they had welcomed him from the start. He owed them some respect, at least.

"I think we should go to London first. We may even visit Gringotts and buy some muggle clothes before meeting your parents."

Mentioning shopping seemed to make Padma interested as well. "I've never gone shopping in Muggle London. I've only seen it in passing, like the times we used the Hogwarts Express."

"I thought your sister is interested in fashion," Harry noted.

"She is, but she only has access to magazines. We've never been allowed to go alone and our parents were too busy to just spend time in Muggle environment."

Hermione smiled at her. "We shall correct it soon enough, but not during this weekend."

Although he didn't like the idea, Harry had no time to dwell on it. With two smart and opinionated wives, he had no choice but to study as seriously as they did, and once they let him leave his studies, it was only so he could give them both some attention, mainly in bed. Yet Harry couldn't remember a time he was happier or slept better. His scar was no longer bothering him, he had more sex than any of the students or the teachers at Hogwarts, and waking every morning sandwiched between two naked, beautiful and sexy girls was no punishment either. With Snape no longer around, even his lessons were becoming enjoyable. He could honestly say he was content with his life.

Still, the weekend arrived too quickly for him. Soon after breakfast, wearing his most presentable muggle clothes under his robes, he joined his wives in Minerva's office to floo to Gringotts.

He had previously only used the main entrance and was never aware of the floo connection, since he had none where he could previously use it. Harry was surprised when he emerged from the floo (on his bottom, as usual) into a very elegant room with two goblin guards standing near the fireplace and two more at the door. They seemed to recognize him as soon as he stood up, bowing slightly and saying, "Welcome, Lord Potter-Black."

Hermione emerged a moment later, still upright, although stumbling a little. Padma came after her, as graceful as if she was walking through a door. Harry made a mental note to himself to ask Padma to teach them how she did it.

By the time the three were standing there, another goblin came into the room. He bowed much deeper before addressing them, "Lord Potter-Black, Lady Potter, Lady Black, please escort me to your account manager."

Harry looked at Hermione as if to ask for her advice. She shrugged, indicating she knew nothing about it. Padma noticed the interchange and smiled to herself. She would need to teach her husband quite a few things, and very soon, at that, so he would not cause himself any embarrassment.

After spending about two hours at the bank with their account manager, Harry's head was spinning with large numbers. He only stayed there long enough to also retrieve some jewels for his wives. His account manager had already given each of them a bottomless money bag as well as cards for use in muggle shops, so he didn't have to take any money with him, nor convert currencies.

"We can shop for robes at another time," Hermione said. "Right now, I think your Muggle wardrobe is in great need of renewal and so is Padma's."

None of the others thought of disagreeing. It was going to be the first shopping experience for both Padma and Harry. None of them felt a need to object.

After transfiguring their robes into over-coats, Hermione led her mates to a large department store. "This is neither the most prestigious nor the highest quality shop, but it is good enough for most occasions and we can take care of the others at another time," Hermione explained.

As both girls agreed, they first took care of Harry. He enjoyed the pampering and didn't mind trying multiple garments for them to decide what they liked best on him. They even helped him choose his socks. They only let him choose his underwear alone, yet Hermione gave him strict instructions about what she expected him to look like in them.

Once finished, Harry changed into a new outfit. Hermione was delighted to throw his old hand-me-down clothes to the garbage.

It was a different ballgame when they reached the young women department. The selection seemed endless and Harry was worried that they could spend the whole day in there, especially since Padma got so excited by the vast selection. Hermione wouldn't let that happen, though. As an experienced shopper, she navigated among the aisles, paying attention only to what she considered appropriate. He thought she was quite effective at shopping.

Still, with two girls trying multiple outfits, Harry found himself a bit bored. He was just waiting for one or the other to come out of the changing room to get his opinion, before disappearing into that room again. Hermione took pity on him, yet she thought she knew what would make him more interested. 'I'll open our connection, letting you see everything through my eyes,' she promised quietly.

Harry wasn't sure what that meant, but he found out soon enough. He suddenly saw Hermione as she was looking at herself in the mirror, undressing sensuously and then putting on a new garment. As Padma was sharing with Hermione, he could also see Padma undressing, although she wasn't aware of him seeing her.

Soon enough they each had a large enough collection. Harry paid for their shopping. Padma, who converted the sums to galleons, was surprised by the low prices. "I'll explain that later," Hermione told her, before they all took the elevator, where they quickly shrunk the packages and stowed them into their pockets. When the elevator stopped at the ground level, the three teens exited as free of burden as they came into the shop.

Hermione found a phone booth and informed her parents of their visit. They then took a taxi – another first for both Harry and Padma – to reach the Granger residence just in time for lunch.

"Mom, Dad, we're here," Hermione called as she opened the door, using her own key.

"We're in the kitchen. Come join us!" was the reply.

Harry was becoming too nervous to pay attention to his surroundings, but Padma took a good look at everything, noticing the difference between muggle and magical homes.

As they walked into the kitchen, Hermione was first engulfed by her mother in a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you!" she said. She then stepped back and took a good look at her daughter. "You look happy and content," she noted. "Now, why don't you make the introductions?"

Hermione beamed a smile at her mother and looked at her father, who was waiting patiently for his hug, looking bemused.

"Mom, Dad, these are Lord Harry Potter-Black, my best friend since first year and now my soul-bound husband, and Lady Padma Black, his other magically wedded wife, whom I've already told you about. I'm Lady Potter now. Harry, Padma, these are my parents, Jean and Paul Granger."

They all bowed slightly, and then Paul said, "Lady or not – don't I get a hug from my daughter?"

Hermione laughed happily and stepped into her father's hug, while Jean hugged a surprised Harry just as fiercely as she had hugged her daughter a moment earlier. She then turned to Padma. "I'm not sure how I should treat you, as I've never before met anybody whose husband was married to another woman."

Harry didn't know what to say about that and Padma felt she was not the one to say anything about it. Hermione responded instead. "I think you should treat her as family. Being married to the same man, we are sister-wives, so you can treat her like you gained another daughter, just as you treat Harry as the son you gained through me."

Her mother smiled and hugged Padma, who responded warmly. "I do have parents and a sister, a twin sister, but I'm very glad to have you all as my family," she finally said, feeling thankful for the warm welcome.

They soon sat at the table. Jean brought them some refreshments first and then sat at the side of her husband. There were only two additional chairs there, but Hermione waved her wand and another identical chair appeared, allowing the three of them to sit comfortably.

"Is that what you learn at school?" Paul asked, trying to suppress his awe at the sight.

"Among other things," Hermione shrugged. "I would have liked to show you since my first year there, but I wasn't allowed. Now being considered adult, I may show you much more."

"Can all of you do this?" Jean asked.

Harry conjured a few roses and gave them the Jean with a theatrical bow. She blushed like a young girl at his antics.

Padma was more practical, conjuring a vase to put the flowers in. The grateful smile she got from Jean made her feel really welcome.

They stayed there until after dinner, talking, joking, showing the Grangers some more magic and letting them show Padma the Muggle way of life. Padma was fascinated by the various electrical instruments. "They seem more magical than magical instruments," she said.

Hermione showed her a computer and demonstrated surfing the Internet. These made Padma jealous of the vast information sources available at the press of the button to muggles, while she had to be content with an old fashioned library.

Harry felt at home, as if he'd always been there. He was surprised at the feeling, as he had never felt that way in the Dursley house, where he had lived since before he could remember. He enjoyed finally being with adults who accepted him completely. That was something he had never experienced, as even the Weasley had some concerns about him.

Finally, it was time for goodbyes. All three youngsters got the same tight hugs and kisses on their cheeks. "Be good to your wives," Paul warned Harry in a non-threatening way.

"I will," Harry promised with a smile, boarding the taxi that took them back to the Leaky Cauldron, where they used the Floo to go back to Hogwarts.

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	9. Chapter 9 Judgment

**9 Judgment**

With two wives to occupy him, Harry didn't have enough time left to give any thought to either Ron or Dumbledore. He wasn't even aware of all that was going on elsewhere while he was occupied with school matters and matrimonial matters. Well, not many boys his age would have been more observant.

Yet things were happening, and not quite slowly. The aurors didn't even need to use Veritaserum on Ron, as he blurted freely all that he knew or thought he knew. His testimony incriminated both Dumbledore, as the initiator of the doping and the supplier of one of the potions, and Molly, as a more than willing helper and the supplier of the love potion.

Molly was so furious about her son's treatment by "that ungrateful brat," that she disclosed her part in the plot quite willingly, feeling sure that having done everything in concert with Dumbledore made it right.

Interrogating Dumbledore was much more difficult. He used every trick he could think of, call on every favor anybody owed him and used all of his supposed influence to stall the investigation and eventually stop it. He failed. The auror corps under Madam Bones was not subject to political or other influences. After too long a time that Albus managed to keep away from the truth, he was given Veritaserum and started revealing his secrets. This proved more overwhelming to the investigating aurors than anybody could expect.

Dumbledore told them of his plan to make Harry weak and dependent so that he could take control of his fortunes and use them for "the greater good" – which was finally discovered to be just whatever Albus wanted, regardless of any moral or other restrictions.

The use of potions on Harry was one of his minor misdeeds, though. Dumbledore had freely used the loyalty potion on most staff members at Hogwarts and on many politicians as well. He had used "Imperius" on more than one occasion to further his goals; he had knowingly sent a few people to their unnecessary deaths during the first war against Voldemort; he had used legilimancy on practically everybody who came into his office. Luckily for Harry, most of his family fortunes were directly managed by the Goblins, and they didn't let Dumbledore take control of anything unless explicitly stated so in the Potter will, the same one that Dumbledore had sealed precisely so that he could do whatever suited him.

Knowing the effect Dumbledore's trial could have on the magical community, Madam Bones let some information leak to the press, just enough to make people doubt the man without making their opinions swing drastically one way or the other. She knew that gradual changes could be beneficial, while abrupt ones might cause chaos.

The Weasley family was torn apart. At first, Arthur didn't want to believe that his wife for almost three decades was using love potion on him, yet when the evidence became clear, he had to admit that his love was really fake. He was more deeply disturbed by Ron's lack of minimal common sense, blaming himself for Ron's failure. His elder sons supported him, with Charlie coming for a prolonged vacation from Romania, just to help his father through the crisis.

Arthur also contacted Minerva in order to get her help in setting a public apology to Lord Potter, but Minerva declined, telling him of Ginny's public apology and how it was accepted.

With the investigation reaching its conclusion, a date was set for the trials and Lord Potter-Black, Lady Potter and Lady Black were kindly asked to come and give their testimonies.

They left Hogwarts as soon as they finished their end of term Potions exam. Hermione was still worried about how she did it, and neither Harry nor Padma could do much to calm her. They Floo'ed to the Ministry's atrium, where a young auror was waiting to escort them to their seats in the court room.

"Hello, my name is Tonks," she said formally, "and I'm here to help you find your seats and instruct you about the procedures during the trial."

Harry and Hermione had already met her and greeted her warmly. Tonks lost her formality almost immediately. "When I first heard about you I thought it was a joke. Nobody goes to bed with two virgins and wakes up married to both."

Harry paled. "I thought we've kept it a secret. How do you know?"

Tonks smiled, changing her hair color from pink to orange and back. "I'm an auror, trained to dissect as many facts from as little information available. I knew they were both virgins before that – it was not a secret. They are now both magically wed to you, both during the same night. Magical wedding need sex to happen. So – Bingo! And you've practically confirmed it now."

Harry smiled. "Well, you're right, and I think it's time to introduce lady Black to you."

Padma shook hands with Tonks, who smiled brightly at her. "He really has good taste in women," she added, making Padma blush.

As they approached the court room, Tonks said, "I hope you don't mind that I saved a seat for my boyfriend near you."

Harry frowned. It was too late to protest, but he really didn't like some random stranger to sit with them.

They entered the room, led by Tonks, and Harry was soon engulfed in a hug. "Congratulation, Prongslet, I'm sure your father is very proud of you now, and so is Sirius."

"Remus? What are you doing here?"

Remus smiled. "My girlfriend thought it was a good idea to have someone familiar near you during the trial, and it looks like I'm the only one to fit the bill."

Harry looked confused, yet Hermione understood immediately. "You and Tonks? Congratulations! You really deserve to have somebody to love you."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Tonks commented in mock seriousness. "You see, he still has a lot to learn to earn his love, but he looks like a fast learner."

Harry felt much better with these two at his sides. Unnoticed by him, Minerva and a few other teachers also came to attend the trial, sitting much farther in the back.

They didn't need to wait too long for their testimonies to be presented. Harry was called first.

"Care to tell us how you found out about the potions?" the prosecutor asked him

"A girl approached me and asked for a favor. I said that my girlfriend would not approve. She said that our relations seemed suspect and asked if I minded to have her check me for potions. When she did, I glowed blue with red fringes, indicating it was both love potion and loyalty potion. I had my friend Hermione do a similar test on me, giving the same results, and she asked me to check her, finding only love potion in her. We then used another spell to find out the perpetrator. It was Dumbledore, for the loyalty potion, and Molly for the love potion."

"Did you do anything about it?"

"Not immediately. We both took a potion to flush all others out of our bodies and learned a revealing spell to find if our foods or drinks were laced with any potion. Once we got suspicious, it was easy to find that Ron was administering the potions to both of us."

"Did you do anything to him?"

"No. We just tried to keep our distance and not let him near out food or drink. We still didn't want anybody else to know we've already found out."

"Then what happened between you and Mr. Weasley?"

"When I introduced my wives in the great hall after our bonding, Ron got angry, stating that Hermione was his by right, and he tried to kill me. Luckily, my wives and I were faster, stunning him before he finished the curse."

"You didn't use your wands, though, according to eye witnesses. How did you do it?"

"Lady Black suggested that whoever tried to control me with potions might have also bound my magic and Hermione's – Lady Potter. She checked us with a spell and our magic was really bound. After unbinding it, we found that we could even do some wandless magic, as Lady Black was already able to do before. Stunning wandlessly was quite easy, actually."

"Did you try to talk with Mr. Dumbledore?"

"No. He would have probably denied everything and I thought it would be better if somebody neutral found any evidence there was, before he had a chance to hide it."

The attorney for the defense asked, "How do you know it was Mr. Weasley who administered the potions? It could be any of your classmates."

Harry sighed in frustration. It was actually expected that he would be asked this question, despite the answer being perfectly clear. "I saw him holding the vials. Once I got suspicious, it was quite plain to see, as Ron was not so discreet about handling them as he thought he was. I believe the aurors also found some vials in his robes and in his trunk."

"Those could have been planted there, don't you agree?"

"They could, but not likely. I didn't plant anything on him – our confrontation was public and I didn't even go close to him."

"Maybe somebody else?" the attorney suggested.

"I can't think of anybody who'd likely do such a thing. Besides, some signs are bound to be found."

"The only signs found on the vials were Ron's, Dumbledore's and Molly's," the prosecutor added.

The girls' testimonies were even shorter. Harry looked at the accused the whole time. Dumbledore looked sad, as if disappointed, yet not taking any blame. Molly looked indignant, as if sure she was doing the right thing and angry for being accused. Ron looked angry and confused, not really understanding what was going on. Well, Hermione would no longer help him understand.

There were many other testimonies. Harry was surprised when he saw Minerva giving a testimony of finding loyalty and compulsion potions in her body, after becoming aware of Albus's liberal use of potions, as did Professor Sprout and two other teachers.

It took practically the whole day. Dumbledore looked sadder as time passed, and Molly's expression also changed to fright, realizing that she could not escape punishment. Only Ron seemed not to understand what was going on. He looked bored and rubbed his stomach occasionally, in what Harry knew as his way to show 'I'm hungry.'

It was past dinner time when the verdict was finally given, after a very short discussion of the judges. "We find the three defendants guilty of all charges. Albus Dumbledore, as the main mover behind these crimes and many more, as shown in this court, is sentenced to a hundred years in Azkaban and removal of all his official titles. Molly Prewett is sentenced to twenty years of imprisonment. Her son, Ron, will serve ten years in prison, after which his magic will be bound and he will be oblivated of the magical world and set free as a muggle."

Harry thought Ron's punishment was the harshest. Ron could barely live as a wizard, with his lack of talent and his refusal to learn. Without magic, he'd be completely lost and would not survive for long. It almost looked like killing him would have been more merciful than his stated punishment.

Remus Lupin took them to dine at a nice muggle restaurant before sending them back to Hogwarts. None of them felt happy about what happened. They all would have preferred not to have any reason to put on trial these people, whom they had previously trusted, yet they felt satisfied that justice was done.

Once back, none of them felt like frolicking in bed. They only hugged each other and cuddled closely together, feeling secure in the love they shared, and then fell asleep.

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	10. Chapter 10 Christmas

**10 Christmas**

Harry was not accustomed to take the winter break. He had always stayed at school during that break, except during that last winter, when Mr. Weasley had been attacked. Now he was suddenly expected to spend time with both his in-law families. Once again, he felt quite apprehensive. Choosing where to go first could seem like he preferred one over the other, and although he said he loved Hermione much more, he didn't want Padma to feel less loved.

His wives handled it without his intervention, eventually.

"I know Christmas has a special meaning for you," Padma said. "I think we could spend Christmas with your parents and then stay with mine for the new year."

"I'll ask my parents to invite yours for Christmas, along with Parvati. Their house is large enough, and we may use a bit of magic to adjust it as needed."

"In that case, I'll ask my parents to invite yours for the rest of the vacation. They could learn a lot from living a few days in a magical house."

They conveniently "forgot" to tell Harry about it. He was still quite worried on the train ride and even when going out of the platform, finding both pairs of parents waiting there. Hermione sensed his panic rising, so she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, making him feel that it would end up alright.

Padma ran directly to her parents, who hugged her tightly, and then her sister, who joined them. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and walked to her parents, who stood only a few paces apart from the Patil family. They hugged both Hermione and Harry warmly, showing their welcome and their love without words. Once they released him, Padma called Harry to her side, and he got another set of hugs from her parents. This didn't help remove his confusion, though.

"Let's go home," Paul Granger said, as Hermione took Harry's hand in hers, while Padma was still holding his other. His panic started rising again. How could he possibly go to two places at once?

It was short lived, though. "We'll take Parvati in the car with us. You go with your husband," Mrs. Patil told Padma.

They left the train station in a group, yet they couldn't stay that way when they reached the parking lot, as each family parked at a different place. "Do you still have that map I gave you?" Mr. Granger asked Mr. Patil.

"Yes. I can find my way easily until we leave the motorway. I'd like you to wait for me before the next junction after the exit, just to make sure."

"Are your parents coming along?" Harry asked Padma.

"Sure! They thought Christmas was more important for Muggles. They'll stay at the Granger's for Christmas, and the Grangers will come to my parents' home for the new year."

Harry sighed in relief, yet he noticed the mischief shining in the eyes of both his wives. He'd have to prank them sometime after the holidays, he decided.

As agreed, Paul waited at the side of the road for the Patil family, and then led them through the smaller streets until they reached home. While Harry and Padma had already visited there, Parvati was enchanted to visit a muggle house for the first time, making her parents smile. Hermione gave the visitors a quick tour of the house, making sure they all knew how to use the lighting switches and how to operate the bathroom. She promised the twins a thorough tour later, to include the television, stereo and the computer systems, and some more.

There was no question about sleeping arrangements. Hermione's room would be shared with Harry and Padma, while Parvati would get her own room and so would her parents. Luckily, the Granger house was big enough to accommodate them all, despite not being very large.

Harry was a bit apprehensive at spending the vacation close to Parvati. Although she was quite smart and just as beautiful as Padma, he knew her mostly as the giggly gossip queen and the devout divination student – none of which made him appreciate her. Hermione was also unsure about this. Having spent five years in the same bedroom made her aware of some other aspects of the giggly girl, but she was unsure about the way she would act in this new situation.

Parvati surprised them both, as Padma had tried unsuccessfully to assure her mates. Without Lavender around, she was just as respectable as the other girls, although she did tend to laugh or giggle more than Harry's wives. This tendency became more evident when she was excited, as she became when they all went shopping for the holidays.

Harry found it interesting to watch for the differences between the twins. Like Padma, when she first visited the muggle shops, Parvati was very excited and a bit overwhelmed, yet it took her longer to calm down. She was also not effective as a buyer, being easily distracted by the multitude of offers. Both other girls helped her stay focused on what they wanted to buy.

When shopping for clothes, Hermione was reluctant to share changing room with the twins. "I usually let Harry look through my eyes while I change, or he'll get bored of waiting. I'm not sure..."

"I don't mind," Parvati jumped in. "He's already seen Padma, hasn't he? And we're practically the same. Besides, I've never minded showing myself to any boy. It's a pity Harry didn't show any interest. He was only interested in you, really."

"He showed some interest in Cho," Hermione noted.

"Well, he did, but he was only fourteen and probably didn't even know what he felt, and Cho was already a beauty while you had a bit to grow yet."

"What does that mean?" Hermione wasn't sure if she had been insulted or not.

"You are certainly a beauty now, but at that time you were still changing and were not as attractive as Cho was. Now she probably wishes to be as attractive as you."

Hermione smiled. She wasn't sure if Parvati's explanation was correct, but she let it be. Harry was certainly attracted to her now, and that was what mattered the most.

Harry didn't complain of seeing Parvati almost naked through Hermione's eyes, although he had seen Padma before. They were so similar that only their different hairdo allowed him to easily discern them when not clothed, along with the different feelings Hermione had for each, which he could sense as well. Still, no boy his age would object to seeing a sexy girl in the buff, no matter how similar she looked to another.

Hermione teased him later. "Was it really so important for you to see Parvati naked?"

"I'm a horny teenager, you know. Why should I object?"

"But she's identical to Padma. It's almost like seeing Padma twice."

"Almost – but not quite. There are some minor differences, and each evokes different sentiments in me."

"And what sentiments do they evoke, dear?"

There was no right answer to that, Harry was sure, but he tried to answer as honestly as he could. "When I see you I feel love and devotion above all, and then some lust as well. With Padma I also feel love and lust, although less than I feel with you. Parvati only makes me vaguely interested and a bit lusty, and I direct the lust to you and to Padma, so it's not harming our relations at all."

Hermione smiled, showing that she didn't really worry about this. "Very good answer. I'll be sure to let you show your lust to me when we return home."

'As if you don't do it every night,' he thought.

'I've heard that,' Hermione's voice sounded in his mind.

'I knew you would,' he smirked internally.

Harry had to block his mind later, so that he could buy a nice present for Hermione and another for Padma. Hermione and Padma joined him for buying presents for the Granger couple, the Patil couple and Parvati. They also bought a present for Ginny, not yet sure how to make it reach her before Christmas.

They later met the adults for lunch at a fast food outlet. It was the first time both Padma and Parvati had such experience. It was actually Harry's first time as well, as his relatives hadn't let him eat out even when they stopped for hamburger or pizza for Dudley. He didn't care much for the food, yet he enjoyed looking at Padma, as she got excited by the new experience, seeming almost as lightheaded as her sister for a few moments.

With their shopping done, they returned to the Granger home and started decorating for Christmas. It was also a new experience for Harry. The Dursley had never given much thought to decorating. All they had ever done was buying a Christmas tree and putting the presents under it – giving Harry only hurtful or shaming "presents". Now he was decorating as an important part of the enlarged family, surrounded by two loving wives and two pairs of parents-in-law who had already accepted him as family, and a sister-in-law who was very friendly, almost too much so.

Hermione enjoyed seeing Harry so content, feeling accepted and loved. It made her content as well and made her love him even more. Padma's eyes also seemed to sparkle as she watched her husband so happy.

It turned even happier when they started opening the presents at Christmas morning. Harry didn't mind what exactly he got – he now had enough money to buy anything he liked – yet he loved the attention and the thought put in each and every present, either given or received, and there were many wonderful presents, making everybody enjoy the holiday wholeheartedly.

It was the best Christmas for Hermione as well, enjoying it with Harry and enjoying his joy through their link, which seemed to get stronger each day. There were times she thought she even caught glimpses of his inner thoughts, not only of his feelings, and it made her feel even closer to him.

For Padma, celebrating the holidays with her family was no news, yet this time was different, as being married to Harry made everything more special. Of course, being able to watch TV was an innovation neither she nor her sister could withstand. They both watched all they could for most of the day, to the amusement of Harry and Hermione.

Harry felt almost sad when the Patil couple left the next day. They were now his family and he liked them. Parvati stayed, to enjoy the muggle world some more.

"So, what would you like to do today?" Hermione asked them all.

"I'd like some more shopping and more TV," Parvati said.

"Won't you like a movie better?" Hermione asked.

"What's a movie?"

"It's like seeing a TV program, but on a much larger screen. We may also choose to go to the theater and see a live performance, with real actors or singers appearing on stage."

"Can we try both?"

Hermione smiled at Parvati's eagerness, sensing that Harry wouldn't object to either program as well. "Both may be too much for one day. We may see a movie today and a live performance tomorrow. We need to rest a bit as well, you know."

Parvati smiled teasingly. "You mean – you need to go to bed. I have nobody to do it with here, and it wouldn't be wise to join you. I'm sure neither you nor my sister would approve."

"I'm sure you'll find your own man when it's the right time."

The twin girls enjoyed shopping in London, admiring the big shops and the huge choice. Harry also bought some more casual clothing. He liked the feeling of being able to buy whatever he wanted and not having to ask for permission.

Two days later, after both twins had enough Muggle experience, at least for a while, they all moved to the Patil residence. It was just as fascinating for Harry, Hermione and the Granger parents as the previous visit was for the Patil parents and their daughters. Although both Harry and Hermione had already visited the Weasley home, an admittedly low class residence, they were not ready for what a middle-class magical residence would be like.

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	11. Chapter 11 New Year

**11 New Year**

The Patil home was about twice as large as the Granger's, with more and larger rooms. It had a front yard and a back yard about four times as large, with tall hedges assuring their privacy and hiding some very efficient wards against intruders.

At first glance, it didn't look any different than other houses in the neighborhood. It even had electricity and telephone lines coming in. Nobody needed to know that they didn't connect to anything. The Patil house was lighted by gas lamps whose gas was magically supplied and their kitchen instruments used magic to cool, heat mix or chop as needed. Yet it wasn't too different in the feeling it gave the Grangers, making them relax, as they had been quite apprehensive before.

They were still worried about one aspect of magic, though. Their hosts had warned them in advance, "Do not operate any electronic instrument in the house or within the wards, as Magic and Electronics don't go well together. It may seriously damage your instruments."

"We need to be available to our patients and advise them, at least, if they need our help," they insisted.

"Padma and I will check if there's something we can do to make it work. Until then, you just need to go out to the street with your phone and check for messages once in a while," Hermione told them.

Her father grumbled.

"I can see they are very devoted to their patients," Mrs. Patil noted. "I'd say that's the sign of a good healer, either magical or mundane."

Hermione smiled sadly at that. "When I was smaller, I sometimes wished they were less dedicated to their patients and more dedicated to their daughter. I always knew they loved me, but sometimes I needed to feel their love in a more concrete way, and they weren't always able to show it."

Both girls started a quick research at the library, which was quite big, reminding Hermione of Grimmauld Place. Harry and Parvati joined them there, but none could really contribute. It took them less than two hours to find some relevant books and they had the solution a bit later. It was surprisingly simple.

"I can't believe nobody has ever tried it," Hermione exclaimed.

"It's not something that most wizards would think about, and most muggle-born have no access to such libraries," Padma tried to explain.

"What have you found?" Harry asked, putting aside the Quidditch book he was browsing at.

"A simple shield charm should be enough. Whatever that shield can stop won't harm the instrument. Why had nobody thought of that?" Hermione said.

"Well, none of you thought about this before either. It took you some research to reach this conclusion."

Hermione gave it a thought and then sighed. "I think it is a common human trait, not specific to either magical or non-magical folks. We all tend to ignore what's self evident in many cases. We look for sophisticated solutions when the simple ones are more than good enough. I'll try to never repeat this mistake."

Harry smiled at both his wives. "Still, you two are formidable. It would have taken others several weeks to complete such research. I'm really impressed."

Hermione then shielded her parents' phones, as well as the battery operated shaver that her father took with him and also a small portable radio. All worked flawlessly even in the kitchen, where Magic was denser than in any other room in the house.

"Maybe we can buy such phones and use them at Hogwarts?" Harry suggested.

Hermione considered his idea. "We don't really need them, you know, as we stay together most of the time. Yet, I'm not sure they would be of much use there, although we can now assure that they won't burn out. Mountains usually have poor cellular reception, and there's no muggle settlement anywhere within many miles from Hogwarts, so I doubt we shall be able to get any reception there. Still, having cellular phones may be a good idea when we're out of school. We should consider buying one for each for the summer vacation."

"Of course, dear."

Harry had another surprise once they had dinner. Although Mrs. Patil had spent some time in the kitchen. Dinner was served by a house elf, one that Harry had not noticed earlier.

"You have house elves?" he wondered loudly.

"Of course. We only have two at the moment. Trodo, here, and his mate, who is due to give birth soon, so we try not to let her do much. Every magical family has at least a few, except for the Weasley, who lost them all in gambling, a few generations back," Mr. Patil said.

"I have none as well," Harry said, "except for Kreacher, but I doubt he can do much".

"I don't think so. I know the Potter family had quite a few, and I don't think any of them was killed in the war. I believe you already own many house-elves."

Harry was shocked to hear it, as was Hermione. Padma only rolled her eyes at their surprise. "I do?" Harry asked.

Mr. Patil answered. "The Potters had always had quite a few house-elves to work the fields, the groves and other businesses they owned. Last I heard, you probably have about a hundred house elves who work for you."

"One hundred and twenty seven," Trodo corrected in a low tone.

"Why didn't I know?" Harry asked, not directing his question to anybody in particular.

Padma replied. "It is such a common knowledge in the magical world, that it was taken for granted. Everybody could have told you that: Ron, Neville, Parvati, yet nobody thought you didn't know."

"Trodo, can you find and bring the house elf who is responsible for the manor, or whatever title the main one has. I think it's about time we get to know each other. Is that alright with you?"

"Trodo will bring the main house-elf," Trodo said solemnly. "Would soon after dinner be fine?"

Trodo was already waiting in their room when they returned from dinner with another, much older house-elf, who bowed deeply as he saw Harry.

"Twinkle is very sorry that he didn't make his position known to master much earlier, but both Master James and Mistress Lily ordered us not to interfere in your life in any way until you finish Hogwarts."

Harry was only attentive to one point, though. "You really knew my parents?"

"Of course, Master. They were very kind and we grieved deeply when they died."

"Can you tell me some more about them?"

Twinkle seemed confused. His young master was not acting at all like a master. Hermione noticed and intervened. "Why don't we start with the introductions, Harry?"

Harry seemed to be taken out of a dream. "Yes, of course, dear."

He turned to Twinkle. "Can you tell us what your role is?"

Twinkle looked a bit surprised. "I'm Twinkle, the head house-elf of the Potter estate and responsible directly for the Potter Manor and the staff."

Harry smiled at the house elf, as if to reassure him of his position. "Well, you already know I'm Harry Potter, son of James and Lily, and recently Lord Potter. I still have a lot to learn, I'm sure."

He turned to his wives. "This is Lady Hermione Potter, and she can probably give you better advice than I can. And then we have Lady Padma Black, my other wife, who's just as smart and as beautiful. Can you handle the Black estate as well?"

Twinkle seemed suddenly sad. "The Black estate has currently only one house elf – Kreacher – who is too old and too stubborn to do any good."

"What happens to old house-elves when they can no longer perform their tasks?" Hermione asked.

"Most masters set them free, and then they die miserably within a month or two. Some kill them outright – the Black were notorious for doing so. Few let the old house elves retire respectfully and live the remainder of their lives with their family. The Potters did that."

"Does Kreacher have a family?" It was natural for Harry to ask.

"No. His parents and siblings are long dead and he never had a mate, at least none that I know of."

"Can you help him. Maybe with some help, he can resume his role and feel useful until his day comes." Hermione was still the SPEW founder.

Twinkle shook his head doubtfully. "Twinkle can try, but Kreacher is very stubborn. Maybe a direct order can help."

"Kreacher!"

The old house elf popped into existence in front of Harry. "Master called?"

"Yes, Kreacher. I want to do some renovations at Grimmauld place, and I believe you may need some help to do it the way I want it. Twinkle, or others of his team, will help you clean and renovate the house to be fit of Lady Black, who is a beautiful lady, as you can see, and I want the house to be beautiful as well for her."

The old house elf was still stubborn. "Kreacher can do it alone. Kreacher needs no help."

Harry sat down, to be closer to the old house-elf. "Kreacher, we shall need to move some walls, make new rooms, change stairs and so on. It's a work for a team, not to mention the cleaning needed after such massive remodeling. I don't want you to die of exhaustion, as I may need your services for many years to come, so I must insist you get help."

This seemed to have touched the old house-elf's heart. "Yes, Master. Kreacher understands. Kreacher will show Twinkle the house and then see what changes need to be done. Kreacher is honored to serve new Master and Mistress."

"Fine, then. You may start as soon as you're ready."

Both house elves disappeared at once.

"Oof! I felt like I was talking to a little child!" Harry sighed.

Padma came at his side. "You handled him beautifully, making him feel needed and assuring he got some help."

Harry sighed again. "I wish it was simpler, though, but nothing really is."

With the house-elf issues solves, Harry hoped to be able to resume his normal life, despite it being far from what others considered normal.

While Hermione and her parents were happy to spend their time there, Harry was soon becoming less than happy, mainly due to the library. Hermione was fascinated by the large library, containing many books that were not available at Hogwarts, and started spending a lot of time there, dragging Padma along. This left Harry with Parvati only. Harry knew she was beautiful and attractive, just like her twin, but he didn't have much to talk about with her, as their areas of interest were quite different. He didn't think he should spend most of his time with his parents-in-law either.

Yet it was his fathers-in-law who noticed him sitting dejectedly alone. While Mr. Granger started talking with Harry about some changes he was contemplating in his house, now that his only daughter was married, Mr. Patil went to the library.

"Do you two love Harry?" he asked the girls, who were quite immersed in reading.

It took them a moment to even notice that he asked them a question. They both looked at him. It was evident that none had heard the question. He repeated it, making sure they both paid attention.

"Of course we love him," both answered together.

"Then how come he's sitting alone, looking bored and a bit depressed while you two are here? Aren't you supposed to keep him company, to make him happy? By staying away from him you do the contrary."

Both blushed. Padma closed her book and prepared to put it back. Hermione didn't budge, though. "Harry loves our company and we love being with him, but each of us has other interests as well. We shouldn't ignore our husband, but we shouldn't sacrifice our interests either. We just need to make sure not to neglect either interest. We're usually with him for much longer than most couples. He should miss us occasionally in order to stay interested. It also works in the other direction, as we shouldn't take him for granted either."

While he agreed in principle with what Hermione said, Mr. Patil still insisted. "That's usually true, yet family is supposed to spend some time together during the holidays. I'm sure he feels a bit neglected now."

Hermione concentrated for a moment, trying to sense Harry's feeling. She then closed her book reluctantly. "Well, we can continue our reading some other time. It seems like Harry really misses us." She still looked longingly at the rows of books, but then she returned her book to its place and stepped out determinately.

Mr. Patil stayed last in the library, smiling to himself. He knew that some might be jealous of Harry, having two such beautiful wives, yet he knew how difficult it sometimes is to live with even one smart, opinionated wife, and Harry had two.

They returned from the winter vacation feeling closer than before. While Harry still felt he loved Hermione more, one would be hard pressed to find any difference in the way he treated his wives. Padma certainly didn't feel less loved nor getting less attention than Hermione. Sometimes she wondered how Harry could give so much love to both of them and marvel at her luck for getting such a wonderfully loving husband, forgetting that she was giving just as much love back.

The train ride was as peaceful as the previous one. With all the junior death-eaters dead, and the dark families much reduced, nobody tried to bother the Potters. Neville came to chat, of course, and Ginny came a bit later, sitting not too close, yet causing Neville to blush. Parvati also stayed with them part of the way, until some boys asked her to join them.

Hogwarts felt more secure now. McGonagall wouldn't accept any bullying and that had been demonstrated a few times before the winter holidays. It was now safe even for young muggleborn girls, much safer than the average street in a city.

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	12. Chapter 12 Alliances

**12 Alliances**

Harry and his wives were surprised when Pansy approached them a day after they returned to school. "Lord Potter, my parents asked me to offer you an alliance between house Parkinson and house Potter."

"Why would they do that?" he wondered loudly.

Pansy smiled. "I'm sure your wives can explain this to you. After you understand it, I'd like an official audience with you, to establish the details of the alliance, if accepted."

"Very well, Miss Parkinson. I'll let you know soon."

Back in their apartment, Padma explained it. "An alliance between two houses can take several forms. The simplest is a promise to stand by each other. Traditionally, that meant fighting for each other and supporting each other politically as well. I believe you have such alliance with Longbottom and with Bones, although renewing it each generation may be a good idea."

"I already have alliances?"

"Yes. These are many generations old and the current heads of houses may not even be aware of them, but they may still be magically binding."

"What other kinds are there?"

"Practically any kind you can think of, but the most common among purebloods, the one I believe Pansy is aiming for, is alliance by marriage. It means that the marriage bond between the houses is accompanied by promises of political and financial support, usually valid only throughout the lifetime of the heads of houses."

"You mean she wants to marry me? Why should she even contemplate the idea?"

Both Padma and Hermione smiled at his outburst.

"First – you're quite good looking. You are also kind and well mannered and very good in bed, as we've found out."

"You didn't tell anybody! Did you?"

"Of course not, but girls do notice how we act around each other and they tend to understand it even with no word spoken. And then, you're also rich."

"We are rich. Whatever I own is equally yours as well," Harry emphasized.

"That's exactly what she may like – having access to all that money."

Harry frowned. "Does she really want to be sold to me for money?"

"No, I don't think so. She may genuinely like you."

"She had quite a few years to show it. I'd say she showed the inverse, badmouthing me and Hermione since first year."

Hermione intervened. "I'm not sure she had a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"She was betrothed to Malfoy. She had to act as he told her. It was magically enforced," Hermione explained.

"That's awful! How do you know it?"

"Girls talk, and I've been Parvati's dorm mate since first year, you know. Besides, I've also heard Daphne talk with her in the library, where they thought nobody heard them."

"Fine, so she likes me for my looks and for my money and she may have acted against her will since first year. What does it mean for me?"

Padma took over. "If you accept an alliance with Parkinson, they'll support you politically, which may be a good thing, as politics is going to be your next fight and we shall need as many allies as we can find."

"Do you suggest I marry her?"

"Not necessarily. Your alliance with Longbottom is not based on marriage, although one of your ancestors did marry a Longbottom, yet it was many generations after the alliance was already in effect."

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Invite her here and let her fully explain her request. As she hinted at, the details may need some discussions and she clearly doesn't expect to get everything she'll be asking for. Even a limited alliance for one generation may help her, I believe."

"How?"

"Her parents have not been death-eaters, as they are both still alive. They may have supported the dark side, though I can't tell if it was due to their beliefs or their fear. Becoming your allies may give them the chance they need to become socially acceptable again."

"And Pansy?"

"She would like to become your wife, I'm sure. She may even genuinely like you. Yet she may be content with just becoming a concubine or even a friend of the family, with or without benefits. It would boost her social standing considerably."

"I already have twice the number of wives I thought I might have. I don't need any more and I don't think any of you would like me to add another wife to the mix, especially not Pansy."

Hermione smiled lovingly at him. "Then don't marry her. You can make an alliance any way you like and Pansy may also like it better to be someone's only wife, if you make it clear that the alliance doesn't need to be by marriage."

Harry contemplated it for another day before inviting Pansy for an official audience with him and the ladies. As advised by Padma, they all wore their official robes. When Pansy arrived, she was also wearing her official Parkinson robes and looked serious and tense.

"Lord Potter, I'm here to formally request an alliance between House Parkinson and House Potter, but I think I should first apologize for my behavior towards you and your Lady since first year. You should be aware of the fact that I was then betrothed to the Malfoy scion with a contract that forced me to act as he wished, no matter what I thought, as Malfoy wanted to humiliate my parents for not having supported the Dark Lord during the first war. He used their temporary lack of funds, shortly after the war, to force the contract."

This was quite close to what both Padma and Hermione considered as a probable scenario, although much tougher. "Your apology is accepted. We shall not judge you for what you did while betrothed to Malfoy, only on what you do from now on," Harry said.

Pansy seemed a bit relieved. "Thank you, Lord and Lady Potter for your kindness. Now, if you allow, I'd like to present the alliance my parents suggested." She took a parchment out of her pocket and presented it to Harry. It was quite long, written in a very formal language.

Harry took a glance of it and sighed. "Maybe we should all sit down at the table and try to understand this? I'm surely not accustomed to such documents, and I suspect none of you is."

As they moved to sit around the table, some of the formality seemed to melt away. Pansy looked a little less stressed when they sat at the table and Harry ordered Dobby to bring them some refreshments.

"Didn't that house-elf belong to Malfoy?" Pansy asked.

"Yes. He was badly treated and I tricked Lucious Malfoy to set him free. He seems to think very highly of me."

"Did you bond him?"

Harry frowned. "Why should I? He seems to like being free."

Both Pansy and Padma looked appalled. "Don't you know that a house elf cannot live as a free elf? Without bonding to a master, he can't replenish his magic, and once he uses it up – he dies," Pansy told him.

"He seemed happy to be free. Besides, aren't Hogwarts house-elves free?"

Padma answered now. "No, they are bound to the school and they absorb their magic from the students and the staff, yet most need to also be bound to the headmaster, or they may not live long."

Dobby returned with the refreshments. Before he finished setting it on the table, Harry stopped him. "Dobby, do you like being free?"

Dobby seemed unsure of the right answer. "Dobby likes being free of nasty master," he finally said, not really answering the question.

"I understand that, Dobby, but are you happy not having any master?"

Dobby looked at the floor while answering. "When Master Harry made bad master set me free, I hoped Master Harry would find Dobby worthy of bonding to him. I can see Master didn't think Dobby worthy enough. Dobby can live some more in Hogwarts, as there is a lot of magic to use, but Dobby needs to bond to a master to live."

"I'm sorry, Dobby. I didn't know all that and I couldn't really make you mine while living with my Muggle relatives."

"Why? Master Harry already owns many house-elves."

Harry was unsure about the answer. "I didn't know then. I've found out only recently and I still need to learn a lot. I didn't know you needed to bond."

Dobby only looked sad.

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, Dobby, I think you earned the right to bond to me and to the Potter house, if so you wish. Do you want to bond with us?"

Dobby seemed to suddenly become too happy to speak. He just nodded his head enthusiastically and jumped from leg to leg, barely keeping in one place.

Harry turned to Padma. "How do we proceed?"

"Just say you bond him. Magic will do the rest."

Harry put his hand on Dobby's shoulder, hoping that would calm the little creature a bit. "I, Lord Harry James Potter, hereby bind Dobby the house-elf to me, my family and my house, also promising to set him free if ever he asks for it."

A brief flash seemed to come out of the connection between the two, marking the bonding. Dobby managed to calm down, still seeming to fight his enthusiasm.

"I'll call if I need anything," Harry told him.

As his services were not needed at the moment, Dobby clicked his fingers and vanished, probably to celebrate his bonding in some way.

Harry tried to concentrate on the alliance again. Pansy explained. "My parents tried to stay neutral from the beginning. They actually left for Canada as soon as the troubles started in Britain. During the first war, their parents died, probably murdered, and most of their belongings were confiscated. When my parents returned, after the fall of You-Know-Who, they found out they were almost knutless, unable to resume the family businesses. I was still a baby then, but Malfoy offered to help, for a price. They were not aware of all the details until it was too late, and they were forced to stand by Malfoy, or at least – not oppose him. They lost most of their friends on the light side this way, making them more dependent on Malfoy. Now, with the demise of Malfoy house, they are finally free to choose sides, and they want to align with the light, as they always wanted, but were prevented from doing. If you agree, they will support you in any political debate, try to help persuade your opponents and always vote for you. In return, they want you to make it clear that they are on your side, making them acceptable to the rest of the light families, and protect them against any retaliation from the dark lord supporters, if there are still some alive. To cement the alliance, they suggest to seal it with marriage, although I doubt you can persuade your wives to add another."

"You mean that they want you to marry me for political reasons?"

"That wouldn't be the first time, nor the last for such things to happen," Pansy said, shrugging.

"What do you think of it, not as a Parkinson, but as a young woman who may be forced to marry someone."

Pansy smiled. "It's not like you are a total stranger to me. I've seen you grow from a small frightened boy into the young man all girls at Hogwarts would gladly shag, including me. I know how you act with those you care for and how you protect them. I've heard about some other talents you have. I may not be in love with you, but I could certainly find nobody better even if I tried."

As much as he felt flattered, Harry knew this was not the way he wanted things to go. He didn't love Pansy even a bit, despite pitying her being forced to act against her will for many years. He didn't even find her attractive, especially compared to his wives. She was probably alright for somebody else, but as he didn't think he could love her, the idea of marrying her was unacceptable. 'I agree, you don't need to marry her,' he sensed Hermione in his mind.

"As you expected, marriage is not really a good idea. It may cause me more problems than it can solve, and that's probably as true for you. I don't think you should sacrifice your chances to find love for this alliance, which can be just as binding with a magical oath."

Pansy smiled brightly, looking almost beautiful. "You are so easy to fall in love with, Lord Potter. I think that marrying you could never be something I would regret, yet this doesn't seem about to happen. Would you allow me to at least study with you? It would make the impression that we are friends and help me regain some status."

He sensed Hermione agree. "That's possible. Maybe this way I won't always be the last to understand everything."

Pansy now laughed freely. "Don't be so sure, Potter. I do get good grades, you know."

They arrived to the great hall together for dinner. Pansy moved to the Slytherin table after kissing Hermione's cheeks, while the others took their places at the Gryffindor table.

"What did she want from you?" Ginny asked them as they sat at the table.

"She wanted us to forgive her behavior until now, as it was forced by her betrothal to Malfoy. She now asked to be our friend."

"Hmm..." Ginny didn't seem convinced but refrained from comment. Harry was sure that after finding of her brother's betrayal, she didn't feel like she was in any position to give an opinion about other possible friends.

Parvati, though, had a few things to say. "I've heard several girls saying that you have a few more titles and you could have a different wife for each title. Besides Potter and Black, some say you can claim Gryffindor, Peverell, and possibly Slytherin. A few were saying that their parents are expected to send you offers for marriage contracts. Didn't Pansy offer one already?"

Harry wasn't glad to hear that. "No, Pansy only offered alliance." He didn't feel like going into details.

"You may expect some more. A few Slytherin families that tried to keep neutral will probably contact you, and many who may feel that you're the rising political force now. The way you handled Dumbledore showed them how you treat betrayals. Nobody's going to like being on the receiving end of your wrath."

Luckily, nobody approached them during or after dinner with any offers. Only Neville came to ask, "Is everything alright? I've seen you talk with Parkinson and becoming very pensive since. Do you need any help?"

Harry smiled at him. "No, Neville, and thank you for your concern. Pansy only offered an alliance between her house and mine, and then Parvati told me I should expect quite a few more."

Neville shrugged. "Everybody wants to join the victor. It may eventually be a good idea to accept as many alliances as you can, as long as you don't take any undue obligations. You should know that the Longbottom house has an alliance with Potter since before anybody can remember. You can count on my support whenever you need it. Yet new alliances should probably be limited to one generation only, with an option to prolong them."

"I fully agree with you," Padma said, "but I think that Harry is also concerned about finding some more about house-elves and their bonds. Hermione as well."

"Didn't you know?" Neville seemed really surprised. He then shook his head and added, "I keep forgetting that you didn't grow up in a magical environment, so you may be oblivious to things others take for granted. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"That's alright, Nev. I would have just panicked without Padma's help. I still appreciate the intention."

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	13. Chapter 13 Seventeen

**13 Seventeen**

The rest of the school term was event-less, that is – if you don't count a multitude of alliances, which Harry let Padma negotiate, with some help from Neville, getting involved only at the final stages. As expected, Greengrass and Davies were among the first to offer such alliances, yet even purely light families offered alliances, if only to bask in the glory of the victor.

Harry paid most of his attention to school matters, on one hand, and to learning the intricacies of wizarding politics on the other. With some help from Neville, Susan and Daphne, he managed quite nicely.

"Where are we going to stay for the summer?" Padma asked.

Harry shrugged. "We can go to Potter Manor. Twinkle will love to have us there. We may also go to Grimmauld Place – I believe they already finished the renovation work there. We also have some other houses we could use. What would you like?"

"We need some place where Hermione's parents can visit. That makes both the Manor and Grimmauld place unsuitable. Do you have anything in London, not protected by Fidelius or something similar?"

Harry needed to think for a moment. "I believe there is an unoccupied house near Kensington gardens. I'm not sure if it's suitable for us, though."

"Ask Twinkle," she suggested.

The house-elf appeared immediately when called.

"Twinkle, do you know if we can stay for the summer at the house near Kensington Gardens?"

"The house is clean and usable, but it has not been lived in for more than a century," Twinkle said. "If you want to live there, not just stay overnight, then you may want it modernized."

"How long will that take?"

"That depends. Do you want it to be only magical or do you want to use muggle stuff as well?"

"I want it to be equally suitable for muggles and for magicals."

"That may take a bit longer. It can be done in five days; in three, if you're in a hurry."

Harry smiled. "We still have four weeks until we finish this term. I'd like to have television, a video player and a music system in the living room and a computer in the study, and possibly other television sets in the bedrooms. Maybe another computer for games can be placed in the living room later, if we find we want one."

Twinkle seemed ready to leave, yet Harry remembered another point. "Make sure the master bedroom is suitable for three," he said.

"Of course, Master. That's self evident."

They rode the train back to London, as usual, and then took a taxi to the house. It was quite similar to the neighboring houses, attracting no special attention. It still stood apart as the best maintained house and, if one was able to sense it, was protected by very sophisticated wards, unnoticeable to Muggles.

They spent the first night enjoying the freedom of their house, making love wherever they felt like. It wasn't very different from their behavior in their Hogwarts apartment, really, but without the burden of school work, prefect duties or exams.

They woke up late the next day – almost at noon. Hermione stretched in bed, quite aware of how that affected her husband. "You know, Harry, I've never thought that a library could be so sexy. Care to try it next term at Hogwarts?"

Harry was just as aware of her intentions. "I'm not sure Madam Pince would approve, nor would the headmistress. We may sneak there during the night, though, if you like."

Harry noticed the glint of mischief this brought to Hermione's eyes, making her even more irresistible to him.

"I thought you were a rules abiding student," Padma commented from the other side of the bed.

"Isn't that the impression one should make, at least on the staff?" Hermione answered innocently.

"Well, as seventh-year, we could ask for permission to use the library after hours, you know, to get ready for our NEWTs. No need to break the rules there," Padma answered, just as innocently, making Harry lough heartily and hug them both.

It took almost another hour before they came out of the bedroom.

Although they liked the house and the comfort it gave them, Harry made sure to take his wives to the theater at least once a week. He also made a habit of going to the cinema every Friday, despite having a large-screen television in the family room and a smaller one in the bedroom. He liked fondling his wives in the darkness of the cinema hall, distracting them from the movie and even bringing them to the brink of orgasm, while still looking innocent to others. It was a kind of excitement he couldn't get at home.

"Harry, I could barely hold myself from screaming in the middle of the film. It was very irresponsible of you to entice me that way," Hermione admonished him after leaving the cinema.

"But you liked it, didn't you?" he teased her.

"Of course I liked it, or I would have removed your hand from my knickers much earlier."

Harry turned to Padma. "Didn't you like it?"

It took Padma some time to answer. "You are lucky that I'm not the screaming type. I was oblivious to the last half-hour of the film, riding the waves of that fabulous orgasm you gave me. It was still very irresponsible of you, as Hermione said, but I don't mind if you give me such an orgasm every day."

"Don't I?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, you know what I mean," she said, mock glaring at him.

"Of course, dear. I really don't like you to miss your daily orgasm. Don't I always give you at least two?"

"Well, we've only had one each, and you had none yet. We should work on that at home, I believe."

And they did.

The house was really becoming a home, the way he had never felt about the house he had grown in. Although they made love quite a lot, they still found time for investigating the books in the library, finding some that enhanced their love-making as well. They enjoyed the garden that surrounded the house, walking hand-in-hand there, smelling the fragrant flowers or just sitting on a bench and watching the clouds in the sky. They did find a few special places in the garden where they could also enjoy sex, hidden from the rest of the world.

Their parents visited quite frequently, spending a weekend or just an evening with the young family. Hermione enjoyed taking Padma for some shopping along with Parvati and their mother.

They also had other visitors. Neville came twice a week. He was still advising Harry on some political matters, but most his visits were just for spending some time with his friends. Harry also noticed that Neville timed his visits to coincide with a certain series on television, which he liked to watch. Daphne also visited. Although she had not been a friend of any of the Potters before the victory, spending some time on advising them as an ally made them turn friends quite quickly. She also seemed to find some interest in Neville, trying to make her visits at the same time as his.

With all his occupations, Harry didn't pay much attention to the date. He wasn't even surprised that morning, when both his wives kissed his cheeks together. He was only surprised when they said, "Happy Birthday," to him, and continued kissing and caressing him, making sure to make it a very happy morning.

About an hour later, when they emerged from the bedroom, Harry found the house decorated with "Happy Birthday!" banners and other banners with flashing "Seventeen" or "17". His wives led him to the dining room instead of the kitchen, where they usually had breakfast. Harry had no time to wonder why, as the door opened to reveal many of his friends, shouting "Happy Birthday!" all at once.

Harry stood at the door as if stunned. He scanned the people waiting for him around the table and saw Neville, Daphne, Susan, Luna, and somewhat surprisingly – Ginny. Among the older people present, he saw Prof. McGonagall, Flitwick, Mr. Weasley with the twins and Hagrid – who could barely stand there without banging his head on the ceiling.

It took him a moment to recuperate from his surprise. "Thank you all for coming here today. I can't find the words to tell you how touching this is for me, being the first birthday I can really celebrate with people who care for me and love me."

He then turned to his wives. "You both planned this, didn't you?" They nodded. "Whose idea was it?"

They seemed confused for a moment. Hermione answered. "We've been both thinking of this for some time, and when I tried to ask Padma, I found she already had a plan, so we merged our plans and worked together on it. The house elves also helped."

"Remind me to thank them later, will you?"

Harry had a wonderful time. With so much fun, breakfast took the whole morning, and then they moved to the living room and to the gardens. The house elves served delicious sandwiches for lunch, not interrupting the games played by the youngsters. At dinner, which was especially festive and was served in the dining hall, everybody was already a bit tired.

Still, when Harry suggested, "Let's see a movie on the large screen," nobody refused. As suggested by the Grangers, they saw "Star Wars," which fascinated all the purebloods, making them wonder how advanced Muggle technology was if it could do things Magic couldn't.

By the time they were left alone, Harry and his wives were almost too tired to do much in bed, except fall asleep. Almost, but not quite.

With Neville being just a day older, Hermione decided to give them both another birthday present. She bought tickets to a matinee performance of "The Lion King" musical. To help Neville enjoy it better, she also invited Daphne.

Although no longer complete strangers to muggle world, both pureblood teens were fascinated. There was no magical equivalent of theater and certainly not of musical plays. Hermione also noticed that Daphne leaned on Neville occasionally and held his hand during certain scenes. Neville didn't object and seemed to enjoy these moments. Hermione was sure that if they started a relationship, they would soon become a very nice couple, with Neville melting Daphne's Ice queen mask while she would take him out of his cocoon, making everybody notice his worth.

They spent some more time visiting several shops. Neville was fascinated by the toys and games that muggle children can buy, looking at times like he was just a small child. Daphne like these shops, but she much preferred visiting clothing shops.

"How can one know what to wear with so much variety offered. It's confusing!" she noted.

"Usually, there's no 'right choice' that applies to everyone. It's your taste, your shape and the occasion you want to dress for that dictates the choice. At some events, like weddings, there's an unofficial dress code that most people understand. Other times, like now, each can wear whatever comes into hand and it will be acceptable. You can see that shorts and trousers and various lengths of skirts are all on the street at once, as well as different kinds of leg-wear and various kinds of tops. In most places, as long as your genitals and your nipples are covered, almost anything goes."

Daphne blushed at the mental image.

Just to make a point, Hermione led the way to a swimwear shop.

An hour later, both Daphne and Neville were still blushing. Daphne, encouraged by Hermione and Padma, had tried several bikini swimsuits, most covering much less than her normal underwear. All three girls asked the boys for their opinions. While Harry and his wives saw this as just some innocent entertainment, for the other two it was something new and very enticing. Once Neville's face was red enough, Hermione suggested that the boys try some swim trunks as well, pointing at the mini-brief types first.

Despite their blushing, it was clear that Neville and Daphne were becoming much closer than before. When getting ready to go back home by Floo, Neville invited Daphne to see the greenhouse he was cultivating at home. Daphne agreed willingly.

Harry was surprised the next day, when Hedwig brought him a letter in a stamped envelope. Looking it over, he found that it was sent to the Muggle cover address of Hogwarts, and probably forwarded to him. When he turned it around, he was even more surprised. The return address was, "Dudley Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging."

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	14. Chapter 14 Family

**A.N:** I had to change some striked-out words from the letter, as they appear normal on the site. Instead, I put them in curly braces{} to indicate them as erased. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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 **14 Family**

 _Harry was surprised the next day, when Hedwig brought him a letter in a stamped envelope. Looking it over, he found that it was sent to the Muggle cover address of Hogwarts, and probably forwarded to him. When he turned it around, he was even more surprised. The return address was, "Dudley Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging."_

He opened the envelope quite reluctantly, finding a single page inside. There were signs of corrections and changes on the paper, showing that the writer had tried very hard to express himself. Harry read it.

" _Dear Harry,_

 _I know it wasn't fun growing up with me my family. At first, I thought it was normal to act the way my parents acted and treat you the way they expected me to. As we grew up, after seeing how other families were, I started doubting what my parents told me, yet I was {unable}{ unwilling} too lazy to give it much thought. It was only about two years ago, that dreadful evening when you {helped} saved me from those horribly cold creatures, that I couldn't even see although I felt their presence way too close for comfort, that I started to really think of how I was living and what I wanted from life._

 _You know I'm not {smart} a fast thinker. It took me more than a year to finally make my mind and realize how badly I treated you throughout our years together. It's too late for me to repair the past, but I've decided to start thinking on my own, regardless of what my parents say, and, hopefully, I'll turn up a better person than they are. I'm still not brave enough to confront them, though. I only plan to finish school with good enough grades to be accepted to a college and leave Privet Drive for good. I'm working as hard as I can to improve my grades and to learn all that I missed during earlier years._

 _All this babbling is just so you'll understand that I really wish you a happy birthday and a really {good} happy life. I don't quite know what you did that you can now live on your own, as none of my parents would tell me, except for stating how glad they were "to get rid of the freak." I don't think you are a freak. You are a very talented and caring person, from what I've heard. The way they had acted with you, they are the real freaks._

 _I don't know where you are or even if this letter will be delivered to you, but if you read this, please let me know where you stay or where we can meet. I now have my own mobile phone and you can call this number, not needing to talk with any of my parents first._

 _Stay safe, and please stay in touch,_

 _Your cousin, Dudley."_

A telephone number was written at the bottom, using larger than normal digits, as if to make sure it was readable.

"What do you think?" he asked his wives.

"He really seems to have grown up," Hermione noted.

"And it looks like he really regrets his past," Padma said.

"Should I call him?"

Padma shrugged. "Do what you feel like. Nobody can tell you how to feel."

Hermione was of a different opinion. "I know that you appreciate family. Under different circumstances, you could have grown like brothers, and he seems to be aware of that. I suggest that you call him, else you'll keep wondering what you missed for the rest of your life."

Harry smiled at her. "You know me better than I know myself."

He then walked to the normal telephone they had in the house and dialled the number. Dudley answered on the third ring. "Dudley Dursley speaking," he said in an official tone.

"Dudley, it's Harry." He could hear Dudley gasp and then say, "Hold on a moment. I need to move to get better reception."

It took a bit, and Harry could hear Dudley breathing heavily, probably mounting the stairs to his room. "Harry! You've got my letter! I didn't know how to contact you, but I thought sending it to your school would be safe enough, even if you'd only get it when going back to school."

"I've got it a short while ago and I was quite surprised."

"At least you read it. I wasn't sure you'd even want to read it. I'm so sorry for what happened between us in the past, but there's no way I can change that. I can only try to make the future much better. Are you alright now?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm spending the summer vacation in London, although we my decide to travel a bit."

"We? Who are you with?"

"Oh, I forgot you were not informed. Well, I happened to be magically wed to two smart and beautiful ladies who love me very much. You may have seen one of them at the train station, when your parents came to pick me up last year."

"May we meet? I'm afraid Mom would catch me talking to you and may react badly."

Harry thought for a moment. He could invite Dudley to the house, but that could cause too much jealousy. He had no clue how Dudley might react. "We can meet here, in London. When can you come?"

"I can come tomorrow morning, if you like. Where shall we meet?"

Harry knew the train from Little Whinging reached Paddington. "We can wait for you at Paddington station, near the ticket office, if you like. We can then decide where to spend the day."

"Fine. I'll take the nine o'clock train. It should arrive a few minutes before ten."

"We'll be there."

It was weird waiting for Dudley. Harry remembered all the times that Dudley and his friends bullied him and even beaten him. Had Dudley really changed? Yet he sounded sincere and seemed to care. Well, it was only a matter of minutes before they would meet and the questions would be answered. He watched the endless stream of people passing near him, wondering if they wouldn't miss each other, if only due to the mob.

"Harry!" He could barely recognize the young man that was walking towards him with open arms. Dudley had lost some weight, evidently. Gone were the triple chins and the large belly. Dudley wasn't slim, that was sure, but he was very fit, and he was dressed in a simple jeans and a T-shirt that made his muscles show.

The cousins scanned each other, and Harry noticed that Dudley seemed really glad to see him, giving him a brotherly hug when they met. "You look well, Dud. Done some exercise?"

Dudley smiled. "Sure did, and changed my eating habits as well. I'm the school's boxing champion now. How are you? You seem happy. Are these two responsible?"

Harry didn't find that place suitable for any meaningful conversation. He just nodded. "Let's find someplace more suitable for talking."

"The weather is nice. We can just find some place in a park and talk there, if you like," Dudley suggested as they left the train station.

"That's possible, but I think we'll find it more comfortable to sit at a café and talk over a cup of tea or coffee," Harry said. "Hermione knows a nice place just around the corner."

Dudley looked a bit worried. "Can you afford it?"

Harry smiled reassuringly at him. "It's no problem, Dud. I'll tell you later."

The café was almost empty at this early hour. Harry chose a secluded table and held the chairs for his wives to sit before sitting between them, facing Dudley. "You may have seen Hermione before," he said to Dudley, as Hermione nodded, "but I doubt you've ever met Padma. We only became close last autumn." Padma nodded as well.

Once they got their orders, Hermione cast a "notice me not" charm very discreetly, so they could talk freely.

Harry now made the official introductions. "Hermione, Padma, this is my cousin Dudley Dursley. Dudley, these are Lady Hermione Potter, my wife, and Lady Padma Black, my other wife."

Dudley seemed confused. "Black?"

Harry nodded sadly. "My godfather was killed last summer, just before the end of school. He made me his heir, so I'm now Lord Potter-Black."

"You're a Lord?"

"It's not the same as in the mundane world. As I'm the last of my house, which is considered noble in our world, and so was my godfather, I now head both houses, so I'm considered a Lord."

"Is that why you have two wives?"

Harry smiled. "Partly. It did make it easier, I assume."

"So, where do you live?"

"I've inherited a bit. There's a small house near Kensington Gardens which belongs to me, and we're currently staying there for the summer, as it's easily accessible for Hermione's parents. They are muggles – non magical, like you."

"Isn't that quite an upscale neighborhood?"

Harry shrugged. "It's nice there, but we've not met any of the neighbors yet, so I don't really know."

Dudley seemed to relax now, after knowing that Harry had a place to live and enough money to live on. He tried to talk a bit with the girls as well and seemed impressed by how smart they were and how much they loved Harry. After they all got to know each other a bit better, they left the café and took a stroll together, stopping at some shop windows and acting just like any other teens on vacation.

They had lunch in one of the small restaurants in Soho. Hermione suggested an Italian one.

"I really like to try it, as my parents always insist on English food only, and I had no chance to try other stuff, except for pizza and hamburger," Dudley said, "but I insist on paying for my order."

"I assure you that we have enough to dine out every day, if we want to," Harry told him.

"It doesn't matter. After the way you were treated as a child, not being given enough food, I feel I should not make you pay for mine. Dad can shoulder it, you know."

Harry grimaced at hearing that. He didn't like to talk about his earlier years, not even with his wives. He still nodded, accepting Dudley's words.

Dudley really liked the food, especially as they shared the portions, letting each taste four different dishes. "It was delicious, and much more fun than eating at home with my parents," Dudley told them, once they finished their meal.

They were escorting Dudley back to the train station, when he turned to Harry. "I hoped Mom would not notice. I've been going to London at least once a week since summer vacation started, yet she noticed. 'You're meeting Harry?' she asked me before I left. I didn't answer, not wanting to make a scene before I go. She didn't mind. 'Tell him I'm sorry,' she said to me, 'and tell him I wish him good luck.' She then acted as usual, as if nothing special was said."

"That really was weird. How did she know, though?"

Dudley shrugged. "She probably overheard some of our phone conversation. She can be very quiet when she wants to. I still don't understand why she said that, though."

"Maybe she thought it over, like you did, and reached some conclusions? Who knows?"

Dudley smiled. "Do you mind if we meet next week as well?"

"It would be nice. Just write down our address."

Harry looked on as Dudley boarded the train. He could see the physical similarity his cousin had with Uncle Vernon, as expected, yet Dudley's heart was more like the Evans, or more specifically – like Lily's. He felt sure that Dudley would overcome his father's teachings and would become the almost brother he should have been all along.

They were very silent on the taxi ride back home. Harry was contemplating the events of the day. It felt good to have at least one family member who finally accepted him, possibly two. Dudley and Petunia were his blood relatives. He didn't mind Vernon, as that man was his relative only due to having married his aunt.

"I wonder what made your aunt act that way," Hermione said as they reached home.

"Maybe it was the realization that he was not coming back. She must have had mixed feelings for many years, hating magic while knowing Harry was her only living blood relative. No longer having his magic present may have triggered that change."

Harry nodded reluctantly. "We may never know. I'm glad Dudley changed his ways, though. He may become a good uncle for our children, when the time comes."

"We still have to finish school," Hermione noted, "but later – all options are open."

"We still have to exercise making babies, don't we?" Padma asked playfully.

"Indeed we do," Hermione agreed, as they both grabbed Harry's hands and dragged him to the bedroom.

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	15. Chapter 15 Travel and Epilogue

**AN** : I'm not quite happy with the way this last chapter goes, but my muse seems to have left me to struggle alone with it. I think it turned out nice, but not on par with the rest of the story. If anyone has suggestions for a better ending chapter, I'm willing to try.

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 **15 Travel**

They didn't spend the whole summer in London, though. As Harry had never had a chance to travel, they decided to take a week in France and another in Spain. Although they could afford luxury hotels, Hermione thought that staying a few days in each of the Potter or Black castles, houses, and villas scattered in these countries, was a better option.

"You have a castle in Normandy, not too far from the English Channel, a large house in the center of Paris and a villa on the French Riviera. I suggest we start with Paris, despite it being full of tourists at this time of the year. We may then spend the weekend on the riviera before going to Spain," she suggested.

"I don't really care. Whatever makes you happy is good enough for me, and everything will be new to me, wherever we go."

"I suggest we skip Madrid this time. It's too hot in the summer. We'll probably feel better near the sea. We can choose between the house at Ibizia, the villa at the Spanish riviera or the beach house at Tenerife. I think the one at Ibizia is best, as it's close to all kinds of entertainments for young people, including a nude beach," Padma added.

"Are you sure you want everybody to see you naked?" Harry asked.

Padma shrugged. "I only care about you, but all others will also be naked. Just think of seeing all those gorgeous girls nude and then having us to cuddle with." He could notice some glint in her eyes. He turned to Hermione. She looked less than enthusiastic about the nude beach.

"Don't you like it?" he asked.

"I've already visited such places when I was a small girl. I liked them then, but I'm not so sure now."

"We could ask your parents to join us," he suggested.

"No!" She sounded alarmed. "I mean, we'd feel restricted if my parents or Padma's joined us."

"What about Parvati?" he teased her.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't mind, and probably she doesn't either. She'd probably like exposing herself to men she doesn't yet know. I only like exposing myself to you."

"Can we skip the nude beach?" he asked Padma. She only shrugged.

They timed their vacation to allow them to take part in Bill's and Fleur's wedding, which occurred that summer. Without Molly's influence, the Weasley family accepted Fleur with no reservations. The wedding took place in the Delacour manor in southern France, and fitted nicely between the stay at Paris and the vacation at Ibizia.

When the Potter family reached the Hogwarts Express, all three were well tanned. Although nobody could see that, none of them had tan lines. Parvati joined them in their compartment as did Neville with Daphne and Ginny with Dean. Harry thought each couple was looking quite nice. He hoped these relationships would do good to all involved. Neville was already much more confident than a year earlier, and Ginny seemed to overcome the events of the previous years. She seemed quite content with Dean, and so was he.

"The twins wanted me to tell you that their store is doing great, as you can see by the money they're depositing each month in your account." Ginny also seemed proud of her brothers.

Harry didn't pay much attention to his accounts, yet Hermione did. 'We could live nicely only on what your share in their store pays back,' she informed him.

"I'm glad they're doing so well," Harry smiled at her. "They worked very hard to reach their goal, and I know they keep inventing new stuff for sale." 

**Epilogue – Thirty years later**

The Potter house in London was festively decorated for Christmas. Harry, Hermione and Padma decided to celebrate the holidays in this less assuming environment, along with their family, in lieu of Potter Manor that was too far from London to be accessible by muggle means.

First to come were Hermione's parents, as usual. "We feared that the snow would create some traffic problems. Are we too early?" Jean asked.

"We were expecting you at about this time. Come in! It's too cold to talk at the door." The Grangers had aged nicely. They still looked trim, with only some wrinkles and their graying hair betraying their ages.

James Potter arrived with his wife and baby Harry using the Floo. "We would have taken the car, but there were warnings about ice on the road and we also didn't like to expose Harry to the weather," James apologized.

The next visitors came through the door. "Harry! Like quality wine, you seem to look better as the years pass." Dudley hugged him in brotherly fashion. "I think little Ann is starting to show some magic. Last time I had to babysit her, she had some toys appear in her crib. I'm sure they weren't there a moment earlier."

"So – another grandchild to Hogwarts?"

Dudley laughed happily. "Why not?" He then turned serious. "Mom wanted to come with us, but Dad got some pains in the chest. The doctor said it was just that he ate too much, yet Mom wouldn't leave him alone to come here. She sends you and your family her best wishes for the holidays and the coming new year."

They were soon joined by Lily Potter and Dora Black, who were now dating the Longbottom twins, after finishing auror training, and by Albert Potter and Zela Black, who had just graduated.

The elder Patil came by apparition, popping directly into the entrance hall, like always. Parvati arrived the same way a few minutes later, taking her mate – a former muggle playboy – in side-along.

As expected, last to arrive was Sirius Black with his two sons and his pregnant wife. "They made the car keys vanish and I didn't dare let Milli use the Floo in her condition," he said, yet he seemed more amused of his sons than angry at them. 'He's so much like his namesake,' Harry thought fondly.

They were already at the festive table, when the Floo flared and a voice said, "May I speak with Minister Potter? It's kind of urgent."

Hermione sighed and approached the fireplace. "What is it, Molly?"

"I think my water broke, and I don't know whom I can call to replace me here. Can you..." she paused as she probably had a contraction, "...call somebody else here, please?"

Hermione turned her gaze to her daughter. "Lily, will you take over? Somebody else will come to relieve you at eleven." Seeing the grimace on her daughter's face, she added, "Frank can come with you, and I'll have the house elves bring you some food as they serve it."

Lily still frowned. "Fine, but next year you shouldn't put a pregnant woman there."

"She volunteered, darling. You know she has a problem with the holidays, especially since she carries her grandmother's name."

"Fine, we're going." She still turned to the others. "I wish you all a happy evening, and get my advice – don't choose the minister as your mother."

As the others chuckled and returned the wishes, she grabbed Frank's arm and they both disappeared through the Floo.

* * *

 _So, we arrived to the end of another story. I enjoyed writing it and I hope (most of) you enjoyed reading it. And as usual, **Please Review!**_


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